Fairytale Heaven
by VampireQueenAkasha
Summary: TFA: Their forbidden life remained a mystery for some. However, their personal heaven they tried to create for one another only brought on further suffering. JhiaxusXEros Partner piece to "Masquerade".
1. Part One

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part One**

Eros stood proud.

"Are you sure you wish to do this, Eros?"

Ultra Magnus stood worriedly before his daughter as several Autobot troops began filing into their ships. He attempted to display a sense of impassiveness, but Eros could spot his worry so easily given the fact that she had always known how he reacted when worried. Her father was always like that; ever since her mother's death, he had made sure than Eros would never experience any harm, grief or end up wounded. But she was a soldier now. She was devoted to her cause.

"Father, please!" she insisted, "I have tested as one of the highest in my class, haven't I? I have excelled at every combat training test, firearms test and even Cybertronian history. I think I can handle going into battle now. I'm not waiting any longer."

Ultra Magnus' brow knotted with a sadness that every father had to carry when their child eventually parted. "It's just so sudden; my dearest child going into battle. I fear I would lose you."

Eros smiled at him. "Father. Have a little faith. Remember what mother used to say?"

"Yes... 'Don't fear tomorrow or yesterday, but today'." Ultra Magnus recited. "I know. I know."

Eros gave him a hug and a kiss against his cheek before smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry. If you need me to, I'll report back as soon as we breech the planet's surface." She gestured toward two political figures standing at a distance in discussion with one another. They were both slender, adorned mechs who had positions in the council. Eros didn't like them that much, especially Pontus. "You have Tau and Pontus to handle anyway."

Ultra Magnus nodded his head gravely. "Yes..."

After bidding her final farewells, Eros climbed into the ship with her squad mates and gave Ultra Magnus a final wave before the ship roared away into the void of space. Eros immediately went to work debriefing her squad of their mission.

"Alright, everyone. Listen up. We're heading down into Praun's atmosphere to assist them against the Warlord Jhiaxus and his armies," she told them, "I want everyone to stay in teams of two or more if necessary. Once we get the inhabitants off of the planet, we can deal with Jhiaxus afterwards."

One of her squad mates frowned; a femme by the name of Ananke who Eros had known for a short time. She was blue and red femme with a thin, streamlined body. Most knew her as the "sharpshooter" of the group as she was swift, fast and could take down targets with ease. "Jhiaxus? As in 'the Herald of Unicron' himself?"

Eros shook her head with a laugh. "He's a Cybertronian like the rest of us. Fear of the bot only increases his power."

"I've heard stories about him..." another mech; Eros remembered him as Swift Streak muttered. He was much older than the others and acted as the medic of her team. "He's cut down armies in the thousands all on his own!"

"Uh-huh..." Eros said, clearly unimpressed, "Like I said; just stories. I'm more interested in finding out who he REALLY is instead once we apprehend him."

Meanwhile, Jhiaxus was standing in the darkness of an interrogation room in his ship. He paced around the room with two Decepticon drones at his side. He slowly drew out one of his swords and approached a bound mech sitting at a chair. The mech was battered and scratched up, clearly from an earlier fight and looked terribly frightened. Jhiaxus calmly spun the sword in his hand for a few moments, pacing around the shivering mech.

"Ah. Viper. You know what's important to me?" he asked, softly, "What truly matters in a brotherhood? Loyalty, my dear friend. Loyalty is what matters to me."

The mech-Viper smiled weakly. "Well. I've been very loyal, Lord Jhiaxus."

Jhiaxus paused and shook his head. "Hm. That isn't what I've heard, Viper," he said, "I heard that you traveled to the Autobot Elite Guard late last cycle. You spoke with...Ultra Magnus, am I correct?" He paused and ran a thumb joint over the tip of his blade. "I heard that you talked with him for several hours." He shoved his sword into the table near Viper's head and the mech gave a frightened yelp, staring down at it. "Would you care to fill me in on the details?"

Viper trembled up at him. "I-I went, Lord Jhiaxus," he stuttered, "I went. But I didn't tell them anything."

Jhiaxus stared at him for a long time before smiling. "Once more. I see you're lying to me." He stood up and began to pace around Viper. "You see, Viper, a mech displays everything in body language alone. You can learn almost everything about him in his final moments. You see, I had cornered an alien commander once. He was believed to be the bravest of his kind. The boldest and the strongest." Jhiaxus paused and had his back to Viper. "But once I cornered him, he begged for his life. Tell me, what kind of bot are you?"

Viper stared up at him pleadingly. "I brought my brother with me! I had no choice!"

"No choice?" Jhiaxus murmured. He chuckled quietly. "Hm. Tell me, Viper; where is your brother anyway?"

Viper looked confused. "Uh. I last saw him near the edge of the wood."

"Yes..." Jhiaxus turned and tossed something at him. "Catch."

Viper jerked when a tattered optic landed in his lap. He gave a cry and struggled to knock it away. "Primus!" he cried.

"Say hello to the last Cybertronian who refused to cooperate with me," Jhiaxus told him.

Viper studied the optic in his lap. "What're you telling me...you're telling me this thing is real?" he exclaimed; he struggled in his chair and glared up at him with fright, "You're-You're directly outta your fragging mind!"

Jhiaxus calmly smiled. "Declaration of insanity is only a way for those who fear another to feel as if they have a grasp on a situation. You my friend, do not." He raised the tip of his sword to Viper's throat. "Now then, let's take it from the top. Give me every shred of detail."

Viper glanced down warily at the sword before speaking. "I went to Ultra Magnus. I promised him I'd give away the details of the next few missions if he spare my brother and me from arrest. Diplomatic immunity, so to speak. That's all." He glanced down at the sword before smiling nervously. "Want to relax that thing now?"

Jhiaxus chuckled and lowered his sword, turning. "And Ultra Magnus...being the hypocritical saint that he is just decided to go along with that. Isn't that something." He stopped and smirked back at him. "And by the way? That optic right there in your lap? That _was_ your brother." He started to leave with a cruel laugh.

Viper screamed in despair and pain. "You fragging piece of scrap!" he shrieked, "I'll kill you for that! You're going to walk away from me, you Primus-forsaken coward?"

Jhiaxus stopped in the doorway. He lifted his head and his optics flashed with fury. To be addressed as a coward by anyone or anything-to him-was possibly the greatest insult any warlord could ever encounter. He suddenly whirled and threw his sword at Viper. It embedded itself in his helm, directly between his optics. Viper shuddered for several moments, his optics wide and unseeing before they darkened and he went limp in the chair.

Jhiaxus smiled calmly. "Coward, eh? Well...it's all the same when you're dead." He looked at the two drones. "Let's go out and give the Autobots a warm Decepticon welcome, shall we?"

O

An organic being screamed as he was cut across the chest, his blue blood spewing all over Jhiaxus' grinning face. When the alien attempted to rise and raise his arms to protect his head, Jhiaxus brought his swords down and split him cleanly in half.

"We will wash these lands in your filthy organic blood!" he snarled.

He looked up and surged his way through a dense forest hacking his way through trees and various alien lifeforms in his way. He gritted his fangs and looked around, listening to the sounds of war and Energon-shed.

"All of you!" he roared, "To the left keep!"

Then, he paused at the sound of movement and whirled with his blades. His weapon was inches from a startled Eros. The two stared at one another, optics locked and not once breaking contact. Eros' gaze was mixed with confusion and doubt and Jhiaxus' looked more like that of a tethered animal. For the moment, neither one of them moved. Eros felt a glimmer of fear and doubt standing face-to-face with the infamous warlord.

_This is him? _she wondered.

He looked nothing like the stories had described. Sure, his appearance did boast the status of a lord, but he wasn't as frightening as she had been told. She didn't even realize how long they had bee staring at one another until Jhiaxus' lips pursed before pulling back from his denta, revealing sharp point. There appeared to be a show of doubt in his gaze before he looked up sharply beyond Eros and immediately rushed away.

Eros couldn't move for a moment, her spark suddenly frozen. But then, the sound of Swift Streak's voice in her COM-link immediately snapped her out of her strange, intense spell. _"Captain! We need your help at the front gate of the city!"_

"Y-Yes, of course," she said, clearing her vocals, "I'm on my way."

Eros immediately turned and started to transform, but she spotted Jhiaxus several yards away on a hillside, overlooking the chaos in the distance. He appeared to be talking over his COM-link for a moment. Eros studied him at the safe distance, wondering why he had spared her. Why he hadn't made any attempt to even take her. The stories she had heard of Jhiaxus were that he cut down Autobots regardless of whether or not they were mech or femme. But Jhiaxus had looked at her almost in confusion. He hadn't so much as spoken a word to her before leaving.

Just then, Jhiaxus looked straight at her. His optics seemed to flicker with intense, red fire. It was an intensity that almost made her feel as if she was sitting exposed. Eros stared back and for the longest time, neither one moved or even blinked. The mech suddenly blinked and cast his gaze to two of his comrades appearing beside him, gesturing with a flirt of his head for them to depart. Eros watched them go with a curious frown, but was even more surprised when she looked up again and noticed the warlord watching her from the distance before transforming into a jet and taking to the skies.

Eros shuddered slightly and turned away.

Meanwhile, Jhiaxus took to the skies and returned to his ship, transforming and collapsing through the cargo bay. He crouched himself there, his optics wide and unseeing. His spark was beating faster than anything he had ever endured before.

"SPECTER!" he roared.

Instead of waiting for a response in any way, Jhiaxus staggered through the ship toward the medical lab where he found the hunched, aged form of Specter, a silvery, jagged bot who was covered in spikes that made it seem as if his body had exploded outward and was frozen in that way. His optics were sealed up with another piece of metal, showing that he was completely blind. When he turned, sensing the presence of another in the lab, he grunted.

"Jhiaxus, my old friend. You seem troubled," he rasped, in a dry, terrible voice.

"Something is wrong with me..." Jhiaxus whispered, his voice haunted, "My spark will not stop racing!"

Specter looked troubled. "Racing?"

"Yes! Feel!" Jhiaxus grabbed his arm and pressed his hand to his chest. "Do you see?"

Specter grunted, surprised. "This is troubling. Perhaps a quick scan will ensure that-"

"Summon everyone back to the ship. We're leaving!"

Specter looked surprised as he watched Jhiaxus frantically walk toward the door. "But Jhiaxus. They have yet to claim the planet."

Jhiaxus whirled back on him with a fierce roar. "I WANT THEM BACK, NOW!"

O

Every Decepticon reported back to Jhiaxus' warship and the Autobots watched them go, completely confused.

_"Attention, Decepticon troops!" _Jhiaxus bellowed through every single COM-link available, _"You will report back to the ship immediately. Those who refuse or hesitate to obey will be eviscerated without mercy. I will not ask you again!"_

Eros watched the ship fade into the distance with a grunt of surprise. "They're leaving. Why are they leaving?" she wondered.

Swift Streak shook his head and laughed triumphantly. "Who cares? Point is, they're gone and we've reclaimed the planet!"

On board Jhiaxus' ship, he was pacing restlessly in his chambers, clearly troubled. Specter eventually stepped into the room with a mild smile. "My friend, I have never seen you this way before in the entire time that I have known you. It surely could not have been the battle that troubled you so. I have seen you stand up to enemies twice your size and have won. What was it down there that caused you such emotional turmoil?"

Jhiaxus took a seat at the edge of his berth and sighed impatiently. He had calmed down to a lesser extent, but still seemed disturbed. "I saw someone down there today," he told him, "Someone... A femme. Very young. She looked at me. I looked at her. And then I..." His brow knotted. "I lost all sense of time and reality. I forgot myself. I forgot why I was there. I forgot who I was inside and I felt as if she were looking down into me."

Specter chuckled warmly. "Jhiaxus, I believe that you are experiencing the feelings of affection for the first time."

"What?" The look on Jhiaxus' face was more akin to pure horror rather than anger at the idea. "That's wrong, Specter. That's very wrong. I do not believe in such feelings! They clearly worm their way through your spark like a parasite and weaken you! You saw it!"

Specter gave him a small smile. "Jhiaxus, I cannot dictate your decisions. What you do is of your choice."

"I will forget it." Jhiaxus said, with determination. "I cannot feel that way about someone, especially her. What she is. Who she is." He stood up and angrily kicked the wall beside him before leaving. "No! Not possible!"

Meanwhile, Eros was inside her private quarters in her ship as it left the planet. She was soaking herself in a bath and letting her wounds heal from battle. Her body felt as if it ached in every single place and she couldn't shake the sensation of shock still pulsing through her spark. The bath did relax her joints a bit and the therapeudic smells certainly calmed her central processor just a little, but something else was nagging away at her.

"Eros?"

Eros blinked and opened her optics. It was Ananke. She picked up a container of cool Energon and rubbed it against her head. "Yes?" she yelled.

"Ultra Magnus is on the line. He wants to speak with you."

"Put it on speaker!"

No sooner had she said that, Ultra Magnus' voice filled the air in her room. He sounded relieved and worried all at the same time and Eros couldn't resist a smile at the sound. _"Eros! Primus, it's good to hear your safe!"_

Eros chuckled. "Father, I told you not to worry about me."

_"You know as a father, I have that right to be concerned."_

"Yes, father. You also have a right to have a little faith in your daughter," Eros teased, laughing quietly. "The planet's been taken back and it's safe."

Ultra Magnus sounded surprised. _"Really? Jhiaxus was beaten?"_

"Well...no," Eros replied, frowning now, "He just left."

_"Left?" _Ultra Magnus said, stunned.

"Yeah. I don't know really why. I was face-to-face with him and he just ran away," Eros answered, unable to resist the confusion and uncertainty in her voice, "He just looked at me and then...he was gone." She demonstrated with her hands, even though Ultra Magnus couldn't see.

_"He didn't hurt you? That is unlike him! He's a monster, Eros."_

"Yeah, that's what everyone keeps telling me." Eros mumbled, so softly that he couldn't hear.

_"Well, regardless. I'm glad you are safe," _Ultra Magnus replied, _"Please, contact me upon your next mission."_

"Okay, father." Eros stretched a bit in the bath. "Now, I'm bathing right now, so I'm going to have to cut this short."

_"Very well. I will see you soon."_

Eros listened to the click of the ended connection and she sighed, letting herself relax a bit in the bath. She thought of Jhiaxus and those piercing, fiery optics staring at her. She had never seen any other mech look at her that way before. Eros had never felt a shiver come with it either. What surprised her was that it wasn't fear. It was something else. Something she was not familiar with or hadn't experienced before in her life.

_How strange. He's not like anything they say..._


	2. Part Two

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Two**

_Several Cycles Later_

Explosions rang out from every direction.

Eros struggled to dodge debris, shrapnel and dirt as it went flying in every direction. She carried a laser pistol in one hand and tapped her COM-link in the other, shouting out for her comrades amid the chaos.

"Ananke! Swift Streak!" she scouted, over the roar of fire, "An-"

An explosion set off near her, sending her flying through the air. Her head rang loudly and she hit the dirt with a sharp grunt to follow. Head spinning and Energon roaring through her audios, Eros struggled to crawl into a fox hole before she could take another hit.

Every part of her ached and she struggled to regain her senses and survey the damages taken to her body. So far, she wasn't leaking any precious fluids and there was only a few minor scrapes from the resulting shrapnel. She panted heavily through her intakes and reached over the ditch to grab her laser pistol. Just then, she was startled to find another larger form take cover in the ditch with her. A shape with a tattered cloak, cradling his arm.

It was Jhiaxus.

He stared at her with a groan of pain for a few seconds before speaking a Decepticon curse.

Eros was stunned to see him and attempted to quell her unease before she shook her head. "Sorry, I do not speak Decepticon."

The mech glared at her for a few brief seconds before sighing angrily, continuing in Decepticon as if she weren't even there.

Eros stared down, noticing the area where he had been wounded. The arm itself had been tattered slightly and there was a wicked burn, revealing blackened charred joints and wires. So far, Jhiaxus had no made any attempt to inflict harm on her. Her hands reluctantly moved to the damage and Jhiaxus looked sharply at her, baring his fangs in an alarmed hiss. The look was so foreign in comparison to what he was when she had last seen him.

"Stay away from me, Autobot!" he spat, bolting from the fox hole.

"Wait!" Eros shouted, giving chase.

Jhiaxus immediately transformed into his bestial, metal wolf form before leaping across several stones and trees to avoid the female. He felt desperate and confused; it was a nauseating feeling in the pit of his internals that he hated. Jhiaxus had always felt in control of himself and his actions, but with this Autobot chasing him, calling his name... He felt heat throughout his body, a surge of anger and...something different. Something unusual and frightening.

When Eros finally lost sight of the metal creature, she broke through a clearing and found herself standing at the edge of a stream. Jhiaxus was standing on the other side, watching her with a lupine, furious glare. Those red eyes in this form had narrow, fiery yellow slits. With a snarl, he exposed a brilliant flash of fangs at her.

Eros didn't tear her gaze from him. She frowned now.

Jhiaxus gave her a different look now that made her circuits freeze; she couldn't quite figure out why, but something had indeed changed since their first encounter. He seemed...confused and disoriented though she could not imagine why. Her central processor whispered a warning so soft, she didn't hear it.

Eros snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed Jhiaxus disappearing in the trees.

Later as the sun began to go down on the alien planet Eros and her squad gathered around an enormous bonfire for warmth; the planet had suddenly become stricken with a biting cold chill and snow was falling onto the ship.

"Bleeding Primus, how much longer?" Ananke growled, "We need to get off of this stinking planet before we freeze out tailpipes off!"

Eros wasn't as bothered by the cold as they were; she had Jhiaxus on her mind the entire time. But why couldn't she stop thinking about him? For the passed several cycles, she had her mind on him for no reason at all.

Then, she shied away from another possibility. A possibility that she did not want to even consider.

"Hey, Eros."

She looked up at the sight of her other squad mate, Two-Times stepping out of the ship. He was the smallest of her team and was brown with gold stripes. He was named such because he repeated everything twice. It always reminded them of a certain Decepticon insect. Some of them suspected that it might have been a peculiar tic in his central processor because whenever he repeated things, his helm and left optic would twitch. Other than that, he was a capable fighter.

"You've got a call-Got a call," Two-Times told her.

Eros stood up and nodded, entering the ship. She was greeted by an image of Alpha Trion on her monitor.

"Sir?" she said, "What is it?"

Alpha Trion glanced down briefly before looking up at her. _"The shadow planet Fax has made the request to speak to the daughter of Ultra Magnus," _he told her, _"They want to discuss political affairs." _He didn't react to Eros' bored groan and contined. _"We must continue communications with the alien species of the planet to ensure our peace with our allies. As the daughter of Ultra Magnus, this is your duty to perform."_

Eros sighed and nodded. "Of course. I'll be there."

Meanwhile, Jhiaxus was sitting in his chair of his ship's bridge, leaning against his arm with a very vexed expression. He wasn't even listening to a Decepticon drone discussing information about the Autobot squad sent to Fax for diplomatic discussions. There was too much on his mind at the moment. Too much that couldn't easily shake itself away. But his audio receptors pricked up when he began to talk about the squad themselves.

"My Lord, we have Swift Streak. Autobot medic from Simfur," the drone said, switching to an image of Swift Streak on the monitor, "He isn't quite swift as he used to be, that much is certain. He would possibly be an easy kill."

The image switched to Eros and Jhiaxus didn't move from his slouched position at first, though he had reacted with a mild widening of his optics. The image changed again and he quickly sat up, gesturing with one claw to the drone. "No. Go back," he ordered. When the drone returned to Eros' image, Jhiaxus frowned intensely. He wanted to know about Eros a little more without sounding too desperate or foolish. "Who is that?"

"Her, my Lord?" the drone questioned. "Well, that's Eros. She's the captain of the squad. She is from Iacon City. Her information shows that she is quite a skilled learner for someone of her age. She rose through the ranks of boot camp and achieved quite the high scores in many of her tests."

"Eros..." Jhiaxus whispered, leaning back in his chair. He absently ran a claw across his lower lip. "So that is her name."

"Yes. According to our spies, they are traveling to Fax," the drone said.

Jhiaxus stood up, his cape fluttering as he turned to leave the bridge. "Then that is where I will go."

"My Lord?" the drone questioned, mildly concerned, "Fax is a dense, shadowy void. Connections cannot penetrate the atmosphere."

"I'll be fine," Jhiaxus told him, "I'm going alone."

O

Fax's unwelcoming atmosphere did cast a gray, eerie shadow down upon its almost barren planet. It consisted of caves and skeleton trees without leaves or signs of life. Eros traveled to the citadel of the alien planet to communicate with its leaders; a race of Faxians who resembled glowing, gray specters with only single eyes on the front of their gas-like faces. She stood in the dull council hall, making sure that she did not speak out of term as instructed by her father.

"My father wants to be certain of our peace with the Faxian people," Eros told them, "Do we still have your friendship?"

One of the leaders hovered forward. When he spoke, it sounded like his voice was far away and dreamlike. "The Faxian people will always maintain unity with the Autobots of Cybertron," he said, "We wish to know however; do we have your hands should we require assistance?"

Eros smiled. "Of course."

The leader acknowledged with a nod.

Eros left the citadel with a sigh of exhaustion before starting forward. As she ventured toward the place to alert her Autobot comrades, she paused and stared across a field of gray sand and noticed something flying toward her. Eros squinted and she could see a jet screaming toward her; a jet with jagged edges and...

"Jhiaxus?" she gasped, stunned.

She quickly made a move to grab the flare gun at her side, but her hands fumbled with it and it dropped to the ground. Eros made a mad dash for it, but the gun clattered and slid over the edge of a small cave, disappearing completely.

"Oh frag!" she cursed.

Eros whirled as Jhiaxus transformed above her and landed on two feet. He had his swords raised in two hands and stared at her as she quickly grabbed a laser pistol and leveled it at him with an unsettled look on her face. She studied him up and down, noticing bright green splashes of alien blood covering his body and face. His features were impassive and he continued to gaze at her silently. Eros had to admit to herself that it became unsettling.

"I'm not going to let you take me so easily," she breathed.

Jhiaxus raised his swords and Eros couldn't resist the flinch, preparing for an attack, but it didn't come. Instead, Jhiaxus drove his swords into the ground and dropped to one knee before her. Eros blinked in shock, watching this blood-soaked being kneeling in front of her.

"I could never harm you..." he whispered, his voice shaking.

Eros suddenly forgot where she was. She worked to control her shock from his confession and stood motionless. She opened her mouth. Blinked rapidly. Close her optics for a moment. Tried again. It took a while before her words finally came out.

"I'm sorry?" she asked.

Jhiaxus continued to keep his head bowed. "I feel as if I've been falling forever, Eros..." The way he said her name made her shiver. "At first, I didn't understand. It confused me. I realized that no matter how many times I crossed paths with you, I couldn't hurt you. I wouldn't dream of it." He took a deep inhale through his intakes, perhaps to calm himself. "It's foolish, I know. But when I first laid my optics on you, I couldn't look away."

Eros' voice emerged in an explosion of air. "Look at me..."

Jhiaxus didn't.

"Look at me!" she ordered.

Jhiaxus slowly lifted his head. When he looked at her, Eros saw it. The wounded torment in his gaze that she had almost caught a glimpse of before in the battlefield. She didn't know what to say or do in response to this. No one had ever come up to her and confessed affections for her like this; and for it to be a Decepticon was completely unheard of. Eros didn't say anything, but pondered her father's words to her when she was a youngling.

_"They have no feelings. No emotions for who they hurt or kill."_

Eros found herself questioning that logic. Questioning what she had been taught.

"Eros?" Jhiaxus' voice snapped her out of her daze.

Eros blinked before she staggered back from him. "I have to go..."

The mild sting in Jhiaxus' optics twisted her spark, but right now, she felt exposed and vulnerable. She had to get away for a moment. She had to collect her thoughts. And when she started to go, Jhiaxus stepped aside to allow her to pass.

"Of course," he said, in a softer, much more sad voice.

Eros could still feel his gaze on her as she transformed and drove away. She could even hear the roar of his jet engines as he soared into the sky and out of sight.

O

Jhiaxus snarled at himself in the mirror.

"What were you thinking, you wretched fool?" he spat, "Did you think it would make any difference? Did you think telling her the truth would change anything?"

He reached his fist up to punch the mirror, but paused and frowned, glancing back at the sight of a red glowing dot blinking on his computer monitor. It meant that someone was attempting to contact him. He frowned and immediately straightened his cloak on his shoulders before taking a spot at his desk. Jhiaxus switched the monitor on and noticed that it was another drone. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What is it?" he mumbled.

_"The Autobot squad is leaving for Cybertron. Do you want us to pursue?" _the drone questioned.

"No. Let them go."

_"My Lord?"_

Jhiaxus' optics narrowed. "Do you have a problem with my decision?"

_"No, my Lord."_

"Good. Then this discussion is over." Jhiaxus ended the conversation before the drone could protest.

He sat in silence for a long time at his desk before leaning back and closing his optics, thinking about what had just transpired today. How foolish had he been to approach her and confess a mortal sin in such a way? What had he been thinking? Jhiaxus had to get what he felt out there, but Eros hadn't exactly responded in a way that he had hope for. She did what he expected, but a small part of him had believed it would be otherwise.

_You idiot. You've frightened her off. This is why confession of emotions is useless._

While this was going on, Eros and her squad returned to Cybertron. She reported to her father about her trip to Fax and carefully left out the part about Jhiaxus. She didn't even want to spend time telling anyone about it and just time to herself.

"Eros, something's bothering you," Ultra Magnus said, mild concern on his features.

Eros smiled wearily. "I'm just tired, father," she told him, "It's been a long few orbital cycles."

Pontus watched the scene with a small smile. It wasn't particularly friendly. He waited until Eros walked away after hugging her father before approaching. Ultra Magnus tensed when he felt Pontus' presence behind him; apparently, Eros wasn't the only one who didn't exactly the company of the Autobot council member. Ultra Magnus had to consider his opinions however because Pontus was the head of community affairs.

"You should keep an eye on her, Ultra Magnus," Pontus told him, with a devious whisper to his voice, "You never know what kind of...nasty mechs would try to get at a lovely femme like her."

Ultra Magnus glared at him. "If you wish to maintain your spot on the council board, Pontus... I suggest you keep your optics to the floor."

Pontus chuckled dryly. "Of course."

Eros returned to her apartment and collapsed onto her berth with an exhausted sigh. A knock came at her door and she rolled her optics, sitting up. "Who is it?" she grumbled.

"Alpha Trion. May I come in?"

Eros furrowed her brow in surprise and immediately stood up. "Yes. Of course."

Alpha Trion stepped into the apartment and gave her a respectable bow of his head before speaking. "Primus favors you on your trip, Eros," he said, "Though I cannot help but wonder that there was more to your journey that you have yet to disclose."

Eros sighed. "My father sent you, didn't he?"

"No. I came of my own volition," Alpha Trion replied, "I saw the way you looked when I contacted you. Something is most certainly troubling you, Eros."

"Shouldn't you be attempting to keep Tau and Pontus from executing some poor innocent bot in the streets?" Eros muttered, turning.

Alpha Trion shook his head. "No. Even now, I see it. You are haunted, Eros."

She closed her optics briefly with unease before turning to face him again. "Alpha Trion, what if someone confided something in you and you wanted to keep it a secret, but knew you couldn't," she said, "How would you feel?"

Alpha Trion looked mildly surprised. "I'd feel a bit troubled. Why? What happened out there?"

Eros opened her mouth to answer, but instead shook her head with a weak chuckle. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Alpha Trion turned to go. "Very well. I'll take my leave."

He left the apartment and paused briefly, a worried look on his face before he walked away.


	3. Part Three

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Three**

Jhiaxus spent most of his morning practicing his swordsman techniques on several makeshift targets. Since he had confessed his emotions to Eros, he felt exceedingly frustrated and angry. Not because of his admission, but because he should have known that what he said made no difference. He should have known that she would never have even given it any form of thought. What a fool he had been. He had conquered vast armies, but never had he fallen so easily to a simple thing as feeling.

Just as he raised his sword to prepare for another target, a voice interrupted.

"My Lord!"

Jhiaxus tensed before he sighed and angrily whirled. "What is it?" he spat, facing a drone framed in the doorway of his training hall.

The drone shuddered in surprise by his angry hiss before straightening. "My Lord, you've received a transmission," he told him, "It's coming from Cybertron."

Jhiaxus blinked. "Cybertron?" he snapped, "Who on Cybertron would dare address me?"

"I don't know, master. There was no name given."

Jhiaxus frowned and slipped his swords back behind him before he walked to his quarters and sat behind his desk. He hesitated for a moment before switching his monitor on. Sure enough, it indicated that he did have someone attempting to contact him. He brought up a new image and Eros' face filled the screen. Jhiaxus looked totally stunned to see her, it was borderline comical. Fortunately, Eros did not mention it.

"Eros?" he gasped.

She nodded and spoke professionally. Her gaze was solid and unwavering. _"Yes. I think it's time that we meet. I need to speak with you. I am sending you coordinates for a more proper location. Come alone."_

Jhiaxus nodded his head. "Of course. I will be there immediately."

The conversation ended and Jhiaxus leaned back in his chair, taking a deep, uneasy intake of air. _Calm yourself. You have faced countless enemies and brought them to their knees. This is a female. One female. Do not be so unsettled. _Perhaps Eros would be more inclined to speak to him on a comfortable level if he provided some sort of peace offering? But really, what could a Decepticon offer an Autobot? He had no idea.

After spending some time in his chair, he stood up and paced around his quarters, searching for something to offer her. But what did females like? Jhiaxus wasn't inexperienced in things as far as physical pleasure went, but when it came to actual emotions and feelings, he was at a loss.

"Hm...perhaps if I were to offer a container of fine grade?" he questioned himself.

Satisfied with that, he reached into his personal cooler and removed a nicely chilled canister of the finest Energon beverage he could ever get his servos on. Certainly that would make for a way to break the ice.

He left his room and programmed the coordinates that Eros had sent into a drop ship and took off into space. How intriguing that she would lead him to an abandoned rainwater planet. Jhiaxus' original thoughts were that it could have been a trap of some kind. His fears were that perhaps she had reported to the council of this new exploit and perhaps would use that against him. But as he descended into the rain-spattered world, he could see the Autobot's ship just ahead on a cliff side and she was alone.

Jhiaxus lowered his ship nearest to hers and stepped out. Eros was there, standing in the falling rain, watching his with a small hint of uncertainty. Jhiaxus himself also appeared to be disarmed by her beauty. His emotion was, for the first time quite unguarded.

He gave her a small bow of his head before reaching up and offering the high grade.

"I thought it prudent to bring you a-" he began.

Eros held up a finger. "Shh."

Jhiaxus frowned at her questionably.

Eros gestured to the water below. "Look."

Jhiaxus tilted his head and peered down the cliff side. He caught sight of a multi-headed organic serpent swimming through the waters, uttering bellowing roars in between dives. Its body was shimmering with silver, but as it moved through the dim light of the planet, Jhiaxus could see that the silver reflected a rainbow effect. He could remark that it appeared to be quite a magnificent creature of power and appearance.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Eros finally spoke, "The last of its kind." She turned to him. "Would you destroy it if it meant victory?"

Jhiaxus frowned at her. "That is an illogical question as I have no need to conquer this planet."

"But if you did," Eros questioned, looking at him now, "If you had every desire to take it, would you take the life of the last remaining member of a species just to pursue any further need for conquest and enslavement?"

Jhiaxus was not sure where this was going, though he kept himself silent. They remained that was for a little while and it almost became unbearable.

"I feel so...unsure of myself," Eros said, looking somewhat bothered this time, "It took me all morning to get up the nerve to face you."

"And yet, here you stand." Jhiaxus murmured.

Eros nodded. "Yes..."

O

The rain continued and so did their conversation.

They sat beside each other on the cliff's edge, talking. It seemed to relieve some tension between them to a lesser degree. Eros seemed interested in the worlds Jhiaxus had visited, so he indulged her and decided to leave out the violence for the moment. The entire time that she was talking, he kept silent and listened to every detail. Listening to her proved to be much more delightful than Jhiaxus had thought it would. When she finished, he finally spoke.

"The way we do things may seem to be entirely different, but when you get right down to the center, we are the same," Jhiaxus told her, "We are both fighting for a similar end; one side is defeated by the other."

Eros knotted her brow. "I don't want to argue out aspects of warfare, Jhiaxus," she protested, "I just want to know why you do it."

"Why I do what?"

"Kill innocent beings."

Jhiaxus blinked and wavered somewhat before he knotted his brow. "It's a lifestyle that I chose and it works well for me," he told her, "I have to conquer and take what I can to survive in this universe. Those who do not agree will not stand in my way. When they fear me, I consider that a further blessing because it means that they will obey."

Eros looked at him sadly. "Just because you have their attention doesn't mean you have their respect."

The Decepticon beside her seemed to be thinking about that. The two were quiet for a while, watching the rain coming down. Jhiaxus glanced sidelong at Eros and when she looked at him, he quickly looked away to make it seem that he hadn't been staring. Eros caught it though and couldn't stop her smile.

"So...what did you do before the war?" she asked, diverting the conversation elsewhere.

Jhiaxus' brows went up. "Oh! I was a scientist."

Eros looked interested now. "Really?" she said, chuckling, "You don't really seem like the office type."

"What type do I seem to be?"

Eros' smile disappeared briefly before she looked out to the water. "Maybe the kind of individual who was pushed into something that left him with no other choice." she replied, "But I don't really know anything about you, so..."

Jhiaxus chuckled quietly. "Will you believe that I've always wanted to be a poet?"

Eros laughed softly and tilted her head. "Really?"

"Indeed. I was a young bot who wrote many works of poetry dedicated to my mother; she passed away when I was born, so I never knew her. My father wanted me to be a scientist like him and he pushed me in the art of battle so that I could one day lead armies of Cybertron," Jhiaxus told her. He sighed and shut his optics. "I was young and naive; I wanted to be something else, but all I ever knew was violence. And it worked better for me than anything else."

Eros nodded her head. "Yes. Everyone's afraid of you."

"There are reasons for that, Eros."

She shook her head. "I'm not."

"It's good that you are not. Fear can be a heavy burden sometimes."

They were quiet again before Eros giggled quietly.

"It's funny. My father would freak if he knew I was talking to you." she said.

Jhiaxus grunted softly. "Fathers can be...something else, can't they?"

Eros shook her head and leaned back, staring up at the stars through the thick clouds of the atmosphere above. "My father always thought that I had to be watched constantly. But I guess he got that way because of mother's death. He's always been paranoid about my safety even though he knows I can handle myself." She chuckled and glanced up at Jhiaxus. "I'm sorry. You probably don't want to hear any of that."

"It doesn't bother me."

Eros faintly smiled before a voice filtered through her COM-link. She grimaced and looked at Jhiaxus apologetically. "I have to take this." she said.

He nodded and watched as she stood up, walking a little bit toward her ship. He could hear snippets of her arguing with someone over her link. "No, I just went out to take a little fly, that's all. ... Father, please, don't make that sound. I'll be there for the party soon, I promise." An impatient sigh followed and Jhiaxus arched his optic ridges when she turned and gave him a weary look. "Yes. Yes, I'll clean myself up too, I know how much appearance means to our family." She paused and rolled her optics, putting a hand on her hip. "No, I'm not being sarcastic... No, I didn't make a tone. I'll be there quickly, I promise. Bye."

Eros didn't seem very happy as she ended the conversation. "A celebration banquet for that creep Tau. Apparently he's managed to lead an excursion on Decepticon renegades that led to their capture," she muttered, shaking her head, "Honestly, I don't know what's more of a waste of time; having me there or actually having the banquet at all."

Jhiaxus stood up and gave her a faint smile of apology. "I'm sorry. It appears that I am at fault for your trouble."

Eros laughed softly. "I'm always in trouble anyway, so it's no big deal."

Jhiaxus glanced down briefly before looking at her. There was a bit of a hopeful look in his optics. "Will I be able to speak with you again?"

Eros shifted somewhat before she turned to her ship. Her voice sounded mildly shy this time. "Maybe..."

He nodded his approval and gave her a bow of his head. "Farewell."

Jhiaxus stood there as Eros boarded her ship and took to the skies. A small smile lit his face before he returned to his ship as well.

O

Eros sat in her apartment, staring at herself in the mirror. After getting a bath and waxing her armor clean, she began to stall in preparation to go to the party. If one could legally call it a party. It was just a way to suck up to Tau for his so-called "hard work". Eros had no interest in anything having to do with politics or anyone. Tau wasn't as much of a bother as Pontus, but he was still an arrogant aft regardless.

She stared down at a music box on her desk and faintly smiled; her mother had given it to her when she was a youngling and it always helped her sleep. Taking a moment to think about her mother made Eros' spark tighten. She did miss her. Her mother always knew the right things to say, especially whenever Eros felt conflicted. She was especially concerned about Jhiaxus and how she felt toward his recent confession.

A knock at the door startled Eros out of her daydream and she yelped softly before sighing impatiently.

"Eros, my dear." came the voice of Ultra Magnus on the other side, "Are you alright?" He paused for a brief moment. "Are you decent?"

Eros nodded her head. "Yes, yes!" she muttered, impatiently.

Ultra Magnus opened the door and sighed when he stared at her still not ready. "Why are you still here?" he asked, "They're waiting for you down..." He trailed off and noticed her hand over the music box before he sighed and took a spot in a chair beside her. "I doubt your mother would want you in here, staring at her gift for hours."

Eros rolled her optics. "I just don't want to play 'kiss-aft' to him, father," she muttered, "He's a pompous bureaucrat."

Ultra Magnus chuckled softly. "Indeed, but the council approves as do the people. So we are outnumbered." Eros gave him a skeptical look and he stood up. "Come now, Eros. You are the daughter of the Head of Council. I expect you there."

Eros nodded her head. "Fine."

"Fine?" Ultra Magnus arched his optic ridges.

"Yes, father."

"Good."

He left the apartment then, leaving Eros to her thoughts. She wanted to tell him about Jhiaxus; about how he hadn't hurt her and how they had talked for a while. Of course, that would be utterly ridiculous because her father would blow a vein if he found out. But then again, why would she keep it a secret? Eros had no real reason to keep it from her father, but something about Jhiaxus drew her to him. Curiosity perhaps. A mech who had nearly conquered the universe was suddenly so level and even with her. She had to know if his emotions were true or if they were a ploy. Surely they must have been; he was a master at his craft.

Eros looked down at the music box. "Mother...what would you do?" she murmured. Deciding not to wait any longer, she stood up and stared at herself in the mirror. "Well, as always...this is as good as it's going to get."

And she left her apartment, transforming and riding for the Metroplex. Many familiar bots and femmes were already there and some were talking with Tau. He appeared to be in the middle of discussion with the council members. She found her father standing at a banquet table and approached him, picking up a piece of chrome alloy cake before taking a bite. Some of the treat lingered on her upper lip that she missed.

"Father, I thought I should-" she began.

"Ah!" Tau approached them with a broad smile, "There you are. We had been worried we'd lost you, Eros."

She gave him an unfriendly smile in response. Alpha Trion motioned surreptitiously to his own lip at Eros and she got the idea, immediately wiping her upper lip with her hand. Tau looked at Ultra Magnus with an oily smile now.

"I have been inspecting my family's holdings, Ultra Magnus," he told him, "I could be quite generous to you and your daughter."

Ultra Magnus nodded his head, being as polite as he could. "That isn't necessary, Tau. We do quite well on our own."

Tau murmured with a barely perceptible nod of his own. "Yes, you certainly do," he replied, "Come, the council board is waiting."

He indicated to a table where the entire council was seated. Eros and Ultra Magnus approached and the council members rose for them. Ultra Magnus raised his hand in a wave and they immediately seated. The Head of Council and his daughter took their spots toward the center as they often did. Everyone began in on political conversation to which Eros spent most of her time during this eating her meal in front of her.

"This Jhiaxus is just another ruthless criminal," Tau was saying, "He will be captured like any other."

For some reason, that caught Eros' attention now. She glanced up at him. "Perhaps there's more to everything than you are seeing, Tau," she argued calmly.

_What are you saying, you crazy woman?_

The council members looked at her quizzically. Tau just laughed heartily at her words. "Oh, of course, Eros," he teased, "And I'm secretly Primus' messiah!" He laughed at his terrible, almost blasphemous joke before turning serious. "Honestly. Femmes and politics do not mix. All we see of this savage is just another pitiful excuse of a warrior attempting to take what is not his. He is merely claiming planets and species simply for his own gain."

"Maybe it's retaliation because isn't that what we're doing?" Eros asked, frowning.

Alpha Trion glanced at her, furrowing his brow with interest at her words.

Ultra Magnus leaned down to Eros with a look. "Eros, that is enough." he chided softly.

"I just want to know, that's all," she insisted, equally as soft, "Because he talks like he knows everything and I just-"

Alpha Trion stood and attempted to turn the conversation elswhere. "Tau!" he said, turning to the other council member, "Perhaps you can share with us your designs for the new cannons of the Metroplex?"

Tau smiled and nodded. "Indeed I would." He gestured to the room around them. "I wanted something that displays the full force of the Autobot army. Something that not only destroys our enemies, but expresses the sheer size and power of our unity."

Eros arched her optic ridges. "Do you know of a recent discussion I had with Swift Streak, Tau?" she asked, rather prudishly, "He and I talked about mech preoccupation with size in their weaponry. Perhaps that may be of particular interest to you."

Alpha Trion choked on his servo salad, attempting to suppress a cough of shock. A few council members attempted to be adult and hid their quiet laughter in their hands. Ultra Magnus looked positively mortified by the comment and glared at Eros.

"Primus, Eros, what has gotten into-" he began.

Eros stood up. "Excuse me," she said, flatly before walking away.

Ultra Magnus looked at the council with shock. "I must apologize for her behavior," he told them, "I'll have a talk with her later."

Pontus smirked at him. "She's quite something, Magnus," he remarked. "Can't you get a handle on your own offspring?"

Ultra Magnus gave him a tense look.

Eros returned to her apartment with a growl of frustration. "Who do they think they are, talking like that?" she snapped, taking a spot on her berthside. "They act as if they know everything. They don't. They've never..." She trailed off and instantly thought of Jhiaxus. For some reason, that calmed her and she couldn't stop her smile.

The reason why frightened her.


	4. Part Four

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Four**

The sound of battle roared around him.

Jhiaxus calmly stood in the middle of an alien street, watching as an Autobot scout charged for him in his vehicle mode. The Autobot shouted a battle cry and Jhiaxus raised his fist with a brutal snarl, driving it into the Autobot's grill in a wicked punch. It send the Autobot flying through the air with a yell of shock; he transformed and Jhiaxus grabbed his arm, whirling and throwing him into the ground. The Autobot tumbled through the dirt before going still.

Jhiaxus approached the Autobot and tapped his chest with one foot, turning him onto his back. His chest sparked from the wicked blow and he glared defiantly up at the Decepticon. Jhiaxus slowly drew out his swords and leveled them at him.

"I'm not afraid of you," the Autobot hissed, "I only fear death."

Jhiaxus smirked. "How do you know death is something to fear?" he sneered, "You've never tried it before."

He pressed his blades to the Autobot's chest and drove them down, cutting through the vital Energon lines. The Autobot seized below him, Energon gushing from his mouth as Jhiaxus sliced through his chest, piercing the spark chamber. His body spasmed in the throes of death for a few moments more before eventually whirring down. Those bright blue optics faded into black and Jhiaxus chuckled coldly before removing his weapons.

As he abandoned the corpse, he approached his army and discovered that they had captured three Autobot prisoners.

"My Lord, we've retrieved these three. They had attempted to enter the ship and download personal files," one of the drones said, "We await your decision on what to do with them."

Jhiaxus eyed the Autobot troopers with a disgusted grimace. Then, he remembered Eros' words. _Just because you have their attention doesn't mean you have their respect..._

Respect. Jhiaxus had constantly commanded respect. He didn't care so much about his enemies respecting him as he did his own troops, but it did make him think a little bit about that. It reminded him of when he had taken in Shockwave and raised him like a son, he had always commanded respect from the boy in the past. That was what he commanded of others and he expected them to reciprocate to his demands.

But it seemed that he encountered hatred and anger with these Autobots. Not respect.

"The three of you are quite clever to attempt such a thing," Jhiaxus sneered, "To orchestrate a distraction while we abandoned our vessel. Quite a tactic indeed." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "I should have let you do it all the same." He watched as the Autobots looked up at him with surprise and he chuckled coldly. "I was downloading and programming mainframes long before you crawled your way from your mother's carrying chamber. Should you have actually attempted to download anything from my mainframe, it would have given you a nasty little surprise. You see, I programmed it with a failsafe should anyone be foolish enough to take from me."

One of the Autobots suddenly doubled over with a gag of pain and mech fluid gushed from his mouth, forming a sick, green puddle around his hands. Jhiaxus chuckled and approached him, watching as the Autobot's optics flickered with a horrible, green strain that began to spread.

"Uncomfortable? You should be," Jhiaxus continued, with an amused smirk, "That is a rather devastating backdoor virus that I had developed millions of megacycles ago. Your body's natural defenses are useless; the virus works quickly and efficiently, devouring every single inch of your body and spark."

"Primus, what's going on!" the other two Autobots exclaimed.

Jhiaxus smirked cruelly and feigned parental concern at the suffering Autobot before him. "Aww, what's wrong, Autobot?" he hissed, "Not feeling well?"

The Autobot's vision of the warlord began to blur as he collapsed and uttered gagging sounds, clawing at his own chest before he was still. The other two Autobots moved over to their fallen comrade and one of them felt his chest before he looked up in horror.

"He's dead!" he gasped.

"Surprise!" Jhiaxus hissed, with a cruel laugh to follow.

The Autobot who had spoken surged up with a yell of fury and Jhiaxus grabbed his wrist, twisting until he dropped to his knees with a howl of pain. Jhiaxus smiled down at him with contempt.

"As for you? You won't live to see the light of another day, Autobot," he purred.

O

"Lord Jhiaxus confuses me. I have heard and seen his lust for war before, and yet...the way he looks at me and speaks to me... It's like he's two different people."

Eros was standing before her mother's tomb, speaking to her and trying to gain comfort from the lingering doubts in her mind. Of course, her mother never responded, but she still tried to seek solace with her regardless. She couldn't rely on her father; she loved him dearly, but he just would misunderstand. Given the society, that was to be expected. No one would dream of giving Decepticons a moment of consideration, so why was she?

"Mother, I wish you were here," Eros said, sadly, "I need some of your advice."

Alpha Trion stepped into the mausoleum and noticed Eros kneeling before her mothers tomb. He furrowed his brow and approached her, just as she stood up. Eros caught the sight of the older bot and sighed skeptically.

"Are you stalking me?" she muttered.

Alpha Trion shook his head. "I was your teacher, Eros and you one of my brightest students," he told her, "You've come here only a few times when something has really been bothering you."

Eros' irritation melted to a degree. "I'm sorry. I've just been a little confused about things lately."

"Like what?"

Eros tried to figure out a way to explain it to Alpha Trion without giving away too much. "Well...have you ever taken a good look at things and stopped to think that it's not always as it seems?" she asked, "That there's something more than just this?"

Alpha Trion furrowed his brow thoughtfully before he nodded his approval. "You think deep, Eros. Deeper than some," he said, light surprise in his voice, "I can appreciate one who takes the time to observe her surroundings the way you have." He managed a sad smile. "If you could somehow find that sort of thing beyond this curtain of war, do inform me of this. It would be a wonderful thing to end the war."

Eros watched as he walked away.

She was so lost, but she had to speak to him again. Speaking to him somehow made her feel content in a way. It was strange given the source, but...

...she was happy.

O

Jhiaxus was thrilled to hear from Eros again and they met on an abandoned planet filled with various green fields. Eros certainly had a taste in selecting her planets. The fluttering organic fireflies were really no form of a nuisance either.

One of them landed on his forehead and he glared at the tiny thing. Eros couldn't stop her giggle as she reached up to take it off of him. "Perhaps we should make this our constant meeting spot," she told him, smiling, "I really love it here."

Jhiaxus couldn't deny that the place was rather lovely. "Indeed." Then, her response caught up to him and he blinked in surprise. "You mean that?"

Eros was unable to resist her smile as she studied the firefly in her palm. "Yes." Her internals felt mildly warmer before she gave him a chuckle. "So tell me a little more about yourself, Jhiaxus. I know we didn't have much time to talk before." The firefly danced across her finger joint and she lifted it up slowly to let the creature flutter away. "How about that ship of yours? I've never seen a design quite like it."

"Of course. I designed and crafted it myself," Jhiaxus replied, with a smile of pride.

Eros blinked and looked stunned. "Really?"

Jhiaxus couldn't resist the brilliant smile on his face; his abilities were always something he prided himself on and the construction of his ship was one of them. "Yes, it was a design I had worked on as a youngling that I continuously changed and altered as I grew older."

Eros couldn't believe that. "Wow. You must have had quite an intellect in your youth."

"Had?" Jhiaxus questioned, with a dull chuckle.

"You know what I mean." Eros laughed.

Jhiaxus straightened and looked up at the twin moons in the sky. The tiny black thing through the clouds was his ship drifting silently overhead. A part of him longed to take Eros on board where he didn't have to hide, but that would most certainly be too presumptuous of him and he didn't want to frighten her either.

"Hey, Jhiaxus?"

He snapped out of his daze to look at her curiously. "What is it?"

"What's flying like?" Eros asked, with a very intrigued smile.

"Flying?"

"Yeah."

Jhiaxus paused thoughtfully and licked his lips before he smiled at her. "Exhilarating," he answered, "It's a fantastic feeling to soar through the skies and feel the air through your wings." He tilted his head and suddenly had an idea. "Would you like to see for yourself?"

Eros looked surprised. "Jhiaxus, I clearly can't fly."

He stood up and offered his hand. "Trust me. There's always a way."

Eros blinked and stared at it before she chuckled nervously and took his hand. "What are you going to-Oh!" She gasped when he slipped an arm around her, holding her tightly to his chest. "Jhiaxus, what are you doing?"

He smirked at her. "Hold on."

Eros gave a yell when he activated boosters in his feet and took to the skies. She could feel the whooshing of the night air as it hit her face. But more importantly, she could feel the Decepticon holding her close. She opened her optics and watched as they passed over clouds. A plunging sensation of unease filled her at being so high and she reflexively gripped his cape in her hands. She was tense for a few moments before she started laughing loudly with pleasure.

"Whoo!" she yelled, as they passed through more clouds, "This is amazing!"

Jhiaxus couldn't help the broad, toothy grin on his face. "And yes, I get to do this all the time."

Eros giggled. "I didn't think it was possible for you to joke, but you did."

Jhiaxus smirked at that before they performed a swirl through the sky once more and landed back onto proper ground. Eros couldn't stop her laughing before she threw her hands in the air. Jhiaxus was thrilled with her delight.

"Wow! That was so much fun!" she cried, breathlessly, "I wish I could fly all the time."

Jhiaxus shifted somewhat and stared down. "You could, you know..." he said, quietly.

Eros was silent for a moment before smiling up at him. "I think I may take you up on that offer." She paused thoughtfully before giving him a hopeful look. "Maybe we can make this our permanent meeting spot. We can just come to...talk."

Jhiaxus would be more than happy to engage her requests.

O

Returning to the ship yielded less-than desirable results for Jhiaxus. The drones were curious about the femme he had been seeing for a while now and Jhiaxus was not ashamed to say who she was. Many of them were shocked; not because of the fact that he was seeing anyone, but the fact that she was an Autobot.

"My Lord, with all due respect," a drone insisted, "She is not one of us. She may betray us if you let your guard down."

Jhiaxus calmly continued to the bridge. "She would do no such thing."

"How do you know? She is Ultra Magnus' daughter!"

Jhiaxus froze and the drones stopped immediately, suddenly unnerved by the abrupt pause in his gait. He turned toward the drone who had spoken and his optics narrowed. "What did you say?" he asked, his voice softer now.

The drone fidgeted warily. "Sh-She's Ultra Magnus' daughter, my Lord," he stammered, "I-I was under the impression that you knew."

Jhiaxus glared down at him and seized him by the throat, shoving him into the wall. "I trust Eros and know full well that she will not betray me," he whispered, with menace in his voice now, "As long as I'm in command, so will you. Do I make myself clear?" When the drone choked and nodded, Jhiaxus released him and looked at the watching group. "Would anyone else like to add anything to the conversation? No?" He shook his head coldly. "I didn't think so."

He walked away and located Specter in his hall of archives. The blind mech looked up at the sound of Jhiaxus entering.

"Specter," Jhiaxus acknowledged.

Specter stood up and smiled. "Jhiaxus, I hear distress in your voice," he said, "You come here when you are upset. Why are you?"

Jhiaxus sighed and took a spot in a chair. "It's Eros."

"Yes? The femme. The Autobot."

Jhiaxus furrowed his brow. Specter did not sound judgmental about it at all. He just calmly gathered up several archive plates and began to place them back onto shelves.

"And what do you think about that, Specter?" he asked.

"It is not my place to say," Specter told him, with a small smile, "It is your decision to make."

Jhiaxus stood up. "Surely you have an opinion you wish to share, Specter."

Specter turned to face him completely. "My opinions do not matter," he argued gently, "In the short time you've been in the presence of the Autobot female, you've seemed different lately. Confused above all things, but I've noticed a certain...happiness in you that was never there before. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I didn't particularly find it delightful. However, what I feel is not important. If you truly find comfort in Eros, then regardless of who she is does not matter."

Jhiaxus smiled faintly and turned away from Specter. He fingered one of the archive plates. "Yes...she is something special."

Specter tilted his head thoughtfully in silence for a moment. "Why don't you bring her onto the ship the next time you meet with her, Jhiaxus?" he suggested, "I am quite interested in meeting with such a femme."

"Perhaps I should," Jhiaxus murmured, "My soldiers will certainly have to grow accustomed to her presence."

Specter chuckled. "Have you considered a future with this femme?"

Jhiaxus was quiet for a while before answering. "I may have..."

O

Eros returned to Cybertron where Ananke was waiting at the ship docks.

"Captain, you're late," Ananke said, folding her arms across her chest.

Eros looked at her innocently. "For what?"

"The meeting?" Ananke questioned, giving her a funny frown. The look was mixed with a bare hint of uncertainty as well. "We were heading to the high council for our next orders? You were supposed to be there."

Eros blinked with embarrassment. "Ah slag. I'm sorry."

"That's the third one these passed several megacycles," Ananke said, "Your father's been jumping down everyone's intakes wondering where you've been heading off to." She glanced up beyond her uneasily. "And speak of the devil..."

Eros looked up at Ultra Magnus who walked toward them with a scowl on his face. "Eros, I need to talk to you." He looked at Ananke harshly. "Alone."

Ananke nodded her head. "Yes, commander."

Eros watched as she walked away and laughed faintly. She looked up and noticed Ultra Magnus was not smiling. He glared at her sternly and silently, as he often did when she did things that he did not approve of. Eros' smile faded and she slouched her shoulders.

"You're angry." she said.

Ultra Magnus' anger diminished slightly and he sounded weary. "I would have hoped you'd explain why you've been shirking your duties as the captain of your unit," he said, "It's almost as if you do not take your job or my position seriously at all."

"Of course I do!" Eros insisted, "It's just that..."

"Just what?" Ultra Magnus asked, arching his optic ridges expectantly.

Eros wanted to tell him. She really did. But she did not want to hurt her father or cause any conflict. But she had no idea how or what she could say to satisfy him.

Ultra Magnus seemed to suspect something and tilted his head. "Are you nervous, Eros?" he asked, "Is this about the discussion we had before you left for your first mission? How you may one day replace me as Head of Council?"

Eros chuckled weakly. If only that WAS the truth.

Her silence seemed to satisfy Ultra Magnus that his suggestion was what really bothered her. "It's okay to be uneasy, my daughter," he reassured her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Most of the great ones experience such feelings of uncertainty every once in a while."

She arched her optic ridges. "Even you?"

He laughed gently. "Yes. Even me."

Eros shared an amused chuckle. "Hm. I guess that's true," she admitted. Then, she smirked deviously and turned the tables elsewhere to deflect the source of his frustration. "But then again, that aft Pontus is even more nervous with a bot like you in charge."

Ultra Magnus laughed heartily and walked off with her. "When you are next to take my place, I'm sure you will find a way as well."

Eros thought about the future. Head of Council was certainly not a position that she would have chose for herself. Politics wasn't exactly interesting in the least. But then again, perhaps that would work in her favor when she did take Ultra Magnus' place.

_Maybe._


	5. Part Five

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Five**

Eros couldn't lie. She was a little unnerved.

The Decepticons scrutinized her suspiciously and she stayed as close to Jhiaxus as she could without invading personal space. Jhiaxus looked perfectly composed and held out his arm before them. They cringed as he did.

"I will not permit your refusal of my rights as leader or your insolence," he warned, "She is my guest on my ship and will be treated properly, am I clear?" When he received only uneasy stares, he smiled and looked down at Eros. "Shall we?"

Eros nodded and followed him down the halls. She couldn't resist looking around, observing her surroundings with intrigue. Jhiaxus watched her the entire time, wondering what she was thinking being on a Decepticon warship.

"Eros..." he said, quietly.

She blinked and looked up at him. "Yes?"

"Know that I do not want to make your time with me at all unpleasant or uncomfortable," he told her. He paused briefly and smiled down at her. "I am just happy to have you here."

Eros' optics flickered and she felt that same feeling from before. Her spark twisted with heat and her internals grew warmer. She wasn't used to being wanted in such a way. Even though she was aware of Jhiaxus' feelings toward her, he still maintained an almost gentlebot personality. It was still strange to her because she had seen otherwise. Eros still didn't understand why she felt this way or why he did. Perhaps if she were to ask?

Jhiaxus brought her to the archive hall and she immediately forgot what to ask. "Wow!" she exclaimed, "You have so much!" She quickly walked up to one of the plates and smiled brightly. "Oh my, this is older than anything I have in my collection!"

Jhiaxus chuckled, somewhat befuddled by her behavior. "You certainly appreciate the little things, don't you?"

Eros laughed and nodded. "Are you kidding? I love reading." She shrugged her shoulders and glanced down at the plate, turning it on. "I think it's the only way to have an intelligent conversation with anyone or anything these days."

Jhiaxus felt mildly embarrassed when she began to read the plate. "Um, no. I wouldn't read that..." he began.

Eros blinked and turned, reading from it. "'I stand amid the roar of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand grains of the golden sand-How few! Yet how they creep. Through my fingers to the deep, while I weep-while I weep. O God, can I not grasp them with a tighter clasp? O God, can I not save one from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream'?" She looked momentarily amazed and looked up at him. "Jhiaxus, this is beautiful," she said, her breath softer now in surprise, "This work...This writing is practically a priceless art."

Jhiaxus smiled faintly. "Thank you."

Eros blinked once. Twice. "You wrote this? But it has to be at least fifteen million years old."

Jhiaxus nodded his head. "I am well over that age, Eros."

She chuckled softly and placed the tablet down. "When did you write it?"

"Oh. That was written a long time ago," Jhiaxus replied, walking around to take the tablet, "Most of the archives here are my own personal works. I could never bear to throw anything away, really. I always believed some use could be put to them later."

Eros smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It might end up being better later."

Jhiaxus turned to a unraveled schematic on a table. "Take this design for instance," he told her, "It was to be a particle displacement weapon I called 'the Redeemer'. It was going to be manufactured a million megacycles ago. However, I had to decide how to slim it down properly because its current design would surely slow down my ship."

Eros frowned down at the image displayed in front of her. The weapon looked menacing on its own and she did not enjoy the idea of it being used on her comrades, so she decided to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"So, how does this ship move through space bridges anyway?" she asked, "I know my father's got tabs kept on all of them."

Jhiaxus smirked. "We do not use space bridges."

Eros laughed in disbelief. "Then how in Primus' name are you all over the place in the blink of an optic?"

O

Eros blinked, shocked at what she was looking up at.

It was an enormous monolith towering over her with black, jagged tips and curves. Two prongs dominated the very center of it with various tubes and coolant pipes. In the center appeared to be a swirling mass of black within a smooth, flawless sphere. Jhiaxus looked absolutely proud of the device and Eros looked stunned. She had never seen anything like it before; Jhiaxus had mentioned building the entire ship himself. Could he have made this?

"What is it?" she asked.

"This is the mass driver of the ship," he explained, "With the proper coordinates, it opens a dimensional gateway that allows it to jump instantaneously from one point of the universe to another whenever I decide."

Eros stared at him, blinking. "That's not possible," she gasped, "I'm not really science smart, but I know for sure a moving object can't-"

Jhiaxus shook his head and gestured to the great machine beside them. "That is how I designed the gravity drive to work," he argued, "You see, it focuses the intense gravitational power equivalent to that of a black hole; it creates the gateway to allow for space travel to be possible. A space bridge could take you a few megacycles to pass through each given point. With this, I could travel from point A to point B in...perhaps less than that."

Eros looked up at the machine. "How's it work?"

"Well, you use a rotating magnetic field to focus a narrow beam of gravitons..." he began.

Eros blinked and grimaced, holding her head with two hands. "My central processor already hurts..."

Jhiaxus paused thoughtfully and attempted to explain it in another way that she could understand. He raised two of his fingers in front of her. "Say that these represent places in the universe and the area between is space-time, and you want to get from 'point A' here..." He gestured to his left finger. "...to 'point B,' here." He wriggled his right finger. "Now then. What would be the shortest distance between the two points?"

Eros stared at him blankly for a moment and decided to play along. "A straight line?"

Jhiaxus smiled. "Wrong. The shortest distance between these two points..." He brought his fingers together. " ...would be zero. That's what the core does. It folds space, so that point A and point B coexist in the same space and time. After the ship passes through this gateway, space then returns to normal." He straightened. "To put it quite simply, it's space that is the thing moving the entire time, not my ship."

Eros tilted her head and slightly smiled. "I guess that makes sense. For a dummy like me, anyway."

Jhiaxus' brow knotted and he lowered his hand. "You're not a 'dummy', Eros."

She laughed once before staring back up at the machine. "It's amazing that you were able to make something like this on your own. The Ministry of Science would be jealous."

He smiled with pride. "Indeed so." He paused briefly before looking at her inquisitively now. "Would you like something to eat?"

Eros nodded. The concept of nourishment was a welcoming one. "Yes. I guess I am a little famished."

"Good. Then let me take you to see Strip Mine," Jhiaxus offered, gesturing for her to follow him, "He is the best cook my army could ever hope to have."

Meanwhile, Pontus was standing at the ship's docks, observing the absence of Eros' ship with a suspicious frown on his face. He gazed up toward the stars and tilted his head. A small smile slithered onto his face and he chuckled softly to himself. Behind him, Tau walked up and noticed his expression.

"What is it, Pontus?" he asked.

"I want to know where she's been sneaking off to lately," Pontus told him, "And expose that to the entire Autobot public."

Tau shrugged his shoulders. "Why? She's just a foolish femme. I don't believe she can pose a threat."

"I believe otherwise, my friend," Pontus argued quietly, still keeping his optics to the stars, "I believe otherwise..."

O

Eros was sitting in the cafeteria of the ship, sampling the offering in front of her. Jhiaxus watched her silently while she ate. She smiled brightly.

"My, this is amazing!" she exclaimed, "I haven't had stuff like this since I was a little youngling." She looked up at him. "Where'd you get the means to make this?"

Jhiaxus smiled slightly. "I believe it was from a supply ship on its way to the Autobot High Council."

Eros arched her optic ridges. "You stole this from my father?"

"Yes."

She sputtered a laugh of disbelief and amusement. "You're insane."

Jhiaxus chuckled. "Yes. I'm quite sure they would say so."

Eros continued to chew the metallic treats in front of her before she pondered something. Jhiaxus could see the intense thought on her face before she smiled at him. "So, what does the mighty Jhiaxus do on his free time?" she asked.

"Contrary to popular belief, free time certainly lacks among my people," he told her.

Eros chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "So, Decepticons don't get any holidays?"

Jhiaxus blinked in surprise at the suggestion before laughing. Eros stared at him and realized that he had a magnificent laugh; deep and powerful, yet light with amusement. She took a moment to savor it before they looked up at the sight of Specter moving into the cafeteria.

"I thought I heard laughter in here," he said, smiling, "I take it the Autobot is with you?"

Jhiaxus stood up and gestured to Specter. "Eros, this is Specter. He is an old friend of mine," he told her.

Specter smiled and gave Eros a small bow, though he wasn't standing and facing her direction. Jhiaxus calmly adjusted Specter's stance so that he now faced her. Specter chuckled softly and looked at Eros. "Forgive me, I haven't been the same since I lost my sight."

Eros shook her head. "It's okay." She paused and studied the scars around the patch of metal. "I guess it was from battle?"

"Close," Specter said, with a small, fairly morose look on his face. He was silent for a moment before chuckling with a bit of bitterness to his voice that he tried to cover up with a smile. "Not every Autobot in the universe follows a code of ethics, I'm afraid. I know you might not believe it, child; but just because the Autobots boast a lack of brutality doesn't mean they won't attempt it when they feel their superiors are not watching."

Eros couldn't believe what she heard. "Oh..."

Specter chuckled softly. "Well, enough of this depressing sort of talk." He took a step closer to her and raised his hands. "Let's have a look at you."

Eros blinked uneasily when Specter began to touch her face without so much as a simple warning beforehand. Sure, it was a bizarre way for him to see her and it was the only way one without their sight could, but being touched so quickly made her uncomfortable a bit. She watched Specter's mouth purse in deep thought before a smile lit his lips. His tattered optic ridges rose and he murmured with amazement before letting his hands fall at his sides.

"My, oh my, Jhiaxus. She is quite lovely." he said.

Eros felt her face plates heating and Jhiaxus sighed, waving his hand in the air. "Specter, don't embarrass her."

Specter laughed and looked at Eros and giving her a slight incline of his head. "Forgive me, child. Decepticons are very straightforward and to the point. I'll leave the two of you alone now." He smirked before turning to go.

O

Eros was sitting in the archive hall, listening to some music recordings with a smile on her face. Jhiaxus sat at a table, pondering what he could use for his next project. He looked up at Eros as she gently moved in a perfect human-Earthling waltz and couldn't resist a smile on his face. She looked graceful and at peace while she danced, something Jhiaxus found that he could stare at for a very long time.

"Jhiaxus, do you like dancing?" Eros asked, between turns.

Jhiaxus blinked, mildly embarrassed. "Um, yes. Yes, I do."

Eros laughed gently and arched her optic ridges. "You're lying," she said, in a playful, sing-song voice. She chuckled at his awkward smile and shook her head. "But you're only lying because you want to be nice to me."

Jhiaxus forced down a swallow and returned his gaze to his schematics.

"Have you ever done it before?" she asked, stopping.

"No."

Eros laughed and gestured for him to stand. "It's easy. Stand up."

Jhiaxus grunted and rose upon her request. "Alright."

A drone was passing down the hall and paused when he noticed Jhiaxus and Eros standing close together. After a moment of watching them close in a position, he immediately rushed off when Jhiaxus shot him a warning glare. Eros giggled softly when she caught the look and hear the immediate scuffle of retreating footsteps.

"Honestly, Jhiaxus..." she murmured.

He smirked down at her. "One has to command discipline, you know."

Eros just laughed at that. Then, the returned attention to the task at hand. She guided his left hand at her waist and the other in her hand. Placing her other hand on his shoulder, she smiled up at him and gestured to their feet.

"Dancing is very simple; the rhythm is something you feel on your own, of course," Eros explained, "When you move with another in dance, you stay in sync. Move your feet like-Yeah, there you go." She smiled as they began to dance gently to the music. "Wow, you're a fast learner."

Jhiaxus smiled almost tenderly. "And you're a good teacher."

The two continued to dance, silently watching each other's optics. Something flickered in Jhiaxus' gaze that Eros caught. Whatever it was, it made her smile and her face plates heat. She giggled softly and stared down shyly for a few moments. She watched his feet as they kept in perfect pace with hers. Finally, she looked up at him and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Um, Jhiaxus?" she said.

He tilted his head. "Yes?"

Eros sighed and shook her head. "I feel I should tell you this," she told him, "My father raised me to protect the Autobot cause. I've never really felt to highly about politics and he wants me to take his place someday on the High Council. I think I could do some good for Cybertron, but...my spark is telling me to go down another road." She grimaced and tilted her head. "Does that seem wrong to you in any way?"

Jhiaxus' smile disappeared and he looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "Whatever choice you make, Eros; that is wholly your own."

She grunted skeptically. "That's not an answer, Jhiaxus. That's a cop out."

He frowned. "I cannot make choices for you. I am not your father and do not dictate your actions," he argued calmly, "If you want my utter honesty, I will give it to you; I feel that you taking over your father's position is not the best decision you could make."

"Why?" She was curious now.

"Because the Autobots of the High Council are hypocrites, vain egotists, and liars," he told her, his brow knotted with a hint of annoyance-not at her; "And I do not think you are an of those things. Someone like you shouldn't become a part of that." He smiled now when she looked away. "Don't be ashamed, Eros. You think the same thing, I can tell."

Eros sighed. "I don't want to hurt my father but..." She trailed off, looking up at him with a shy little smile now.

"You are a good person, Eros," Jhiaxus said, stopping them now. "Too pure for that life."

She was silent, obviously thinking of his words.

"Do you think so?" she finally asked.

He smiled and there was a warmth in those otherwise normally cold optics. "I do."

O

"So you've come back for a rematch? There's not much to cut off now, is there?"

A cycle had passed and Eros had paid Jhiaxus' ship another visit. When she heard the near violent hiss of the warlord in the training room, she immediately rushed inside, thinking that he was in the middle of a bloody battle. What she found was entirely different; Jhiaxus was standing before an attack dummy. She blinked in disbelief as he was getting into character, pacing around the tattered dummy with a wicked grin.

"Today is not a good day to be an Autobot, my friend!" he hissed, "You've come for me again?" He raised his swords. "Die!"

With that, he sliced the soft head of the dummy clean off. It rolled at Eros' feet and she gasped softly.

Jhiaxus noticed her standing there and immediately composed himself. "Oh Primus ... " he murmured, bowing his head slightly, "I hope I didn't frighten you."

Eros shook her head. "No, it's just that I thought you were fighting. I mean, for real." she said, relieved to see he was only in practice. She approached him and reached out curiously. "May I see them?"

Jhiaxus offered her the hilt ends of his swords and Eros took them. She smiled with amazement, performing a few spins of the blades in her hands to test their durability and weight. She was surprised at how light they were.

"Wow, these are really nice," Eros commented.

"I made them myself," Jhiaxus said, with a smile of pride.

Eros chuckled. "Is there anything you can't do?"

He beamed and his chest flared at the compliment.

"So, why the swords?" Eros asked, offering them back to him.

"I do possess conventional firearms," Jhiaxus told her, "I just prefer to use swords." He performed a few spins of the blades. "They do not run out of ammo, they don't lock up and most importantly, they're excellent for close encounters."

Eros smiled. "I've never had the chance to learn how to use swords."

"Really? Would you like me to teach you?"

Eros' optic ridges rose with a delighted chuckle. "Really? Okay."

"Tomorrow then." Jhiaxus said, fitting his swords behind his back. "Be ready."

Afterwards, Eros returned to Cybertron and left her ship at the Iacon docking bay where Pontus was waiting in hiding. He watched as she smiled and engaged in conversation with Ananke and furrowed his brow suspiciously.

"I'll find out what you've been up to, Eros," he promised, with a particularly cold smirk.

O

_Note_-The Poem Eros reads is actually Edgar Allen Poe's "A Dream Within a Dream". I find some of his works to be utterly stunning, personally.


	6. Part Six

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Six**

"The swords move as one. They function as a single unit. In battle, they flow together to bring down their enemies."

Eros blinked, watching as Jhiaxus stood in a perfect fighting stance; each motion, each twist was flawless. He offered her one of the blades with a smile and she took it. Confused, Eros stared down at the sword in her hand before she frowned up at him.

"Show me what you know," Jhiaxus said, standing in a defensive position, "Let your instinct guide you."

Eros stood dumbly for a few moments before she performed a few swings with the sword, grunting and hissing with effort. She leveled it at Jhiaxus, who stood calmly. Without even moving, he flicked his sword hand and knocked the other sword out of hers. She stared at the spot in surprise where it had clattered across the floor before grinning sheepishly at Jhiaxus. He arched a single optic ridge and tilted his head with a smirk.

"Shall we continue?" he asked.

She nodded and gathered the sword before standing again.

"Your stance is too wide," Jhiaxus instructed, "Move your legs closer." She did as he said and he raised his sword against hers, moving slowly this time. "Now then, slowly. Attack slow." Their swords clicked together in a very slow-motion move of sword fighting. "One, two, three. Good." He smiled when she began to get the motion a lot faster than he thought. "Excellent. You too are quite a fast learner, Eros."

Eros smiled confidently and nodded.

After a while of practicing steps and motions, Jhiaxus arched his optic ridges inquisitively. "Now then, are you ready?" he asked.

He moved swiftly before waiting for an answer. Eros blocked and parried his attacked rather clumsily, but she was indeed blocking. Jhiaxus was impressed with how fast she moved; her optics flared with effort and her intakes cycles faster as she struggled to keep pace with him. When she swung out her sword in a slash, Jhiaxus blocked and twisted his wrist, causing her to wrench the weapon from her hand. She almost lost her balance, but he brought his arm around her shoulders and leveled the sword at the bottom of her neck.

The two cycled air deeply through their intakes, their optics flared and their faces close.

"Do you surrender, Autobot femme?" Jhiaxus breathed, with a triumphant smirk.

She grinned back, her chest heaving against his. She got in on the game. "Never," she panted, "I am much stronger than you take me for, Decepticon Lord."

Jhiaxus smiled breathlessly. "Indeed you are. But I think you have an unfair advantage over me."

"What unfair advantage is that?"

"You've taken my spark."

Eros' humor faded from her face and a warmth crossed her optics. Jhiaxus mirrored her look and for a moment, neither one of them moved from their position. They were slowly drawn to each other and their mouths barely touched before Eros shuddered below him, retreating just the slightest with a soft, mildly nervous sigh. His optics widened a fraction and his mind began to roar from what was about to happen. Her own optics closed halfway and finally, Jhiaxus leaned forward, bringing his mouth against her own.

His mouth was much softer than it looked; those sharp fangs lightly rolled over her lips in a way that made her internals flare with heat. She barely noticed the clatter of his swords as he dropped them to the floor before he reached up and cupped her face like a treasure. Those sharp points of his digits brushed her cheeks, sending shivers down her spinal relay.

Jhiaxus was almost in a trance as he felt those warm lips meld so perfectly to his own. Was this really happening? He slipped a hand against the back of her head to pull her closer and Eros didn't even hesitate.

Warning alarms sounded through her head of the consequences, but she ignored them. She didn't want to stop. The metallic beard on his chin tickled her a bit, but she didn't dare laugh and ruin the moment. She didn't want it to end.

Jhiaxus nuzzled her mouth with his to tease it open, allowing him to intensify the kiss. She responded positively and he uttered a low, attractive masculine rumble in his chest as his glossa dove into the warmth of her mouth. Her own rose to meet his and he practically moaned against her lips.

Finally, they parted to allow themselves a change to calm down their racing sparks. Jhiaxus stared down at her with a very intense smile on his face. Eros returned the smile, though she appeared to be mildly dazed. Her abdomen was practically fluttering with sensation as her finger joints dug into the fabric of his cloak.

"How was it?" he whispered, leaning his cheek close to her own.

"Primus, Jhiaxus..." she breathed, "I think it's safe to say that was the best kiss I've ever had."

He chuckled tenderly and rubbed his cheek against hers a few times. "It was the same for me."

O

Eros' music box drew the attention of Specter.

She was sitting in the archive hall when he stepped inside. "Hmm, that's quite a melody," he said, smiling.

She smiled up at him when he took a spot beside her. "Thank you. It belonged to my mother."

Specter's hands felt for the music box in question and Eros guided them to it. He felt the intricate design and texture before chuckling softly. "It's custom made," he mused, "Maybe...seven million years old, I take it?"

Eros looked surprised. "Yes. My mother had it made when I was born. It always helped me sleep when I was a youngling." Her brow knotted with pain. "She had it with her when she went on her mission and it was brought back after she was killed."

The melody played and echoed down the halls where Jhiaxus was walking. He froze at the sound and his optics widened in horror. A memory flickered through his head; he could see himself standing in the muddy, soaked world of an alien planet, making out the sound of the music box.

"How did she die?" Specter asked Eros.

"She was on a raid," Eros said, sadly, "She led a troop through the stormy planet of Orion."

Jhiaxus staggered back as if he had been shot, shaking his head with a murmur of despair. He could see himself again, standing before a collected group of Autobot soldiers; a dark red femme kneeling in the rain attempted to rebuke him from his commands and she was shot down by one of his drones. In her servos, the music box rolled into the mud and was collected by one of her fellow Autobots before Pit broke loose.

Specter knotted his brow and glanced down at the music box. "It's strange..." he said, "I know this melody from somewhere."

Eros looked stunned. "You do?" she asked; a strange, unusual twisting sensation suddenly wound itself in the center of her spark, "How do you know? It was a family lullaby. There's no way you could have known."

Specter shook his head with a frown. "Indeed. That's why it's so unusual."

Jhiaxus stepped into the archive hall, his features a mask of torment. Specter looked up at him immediately. Eros did as well and she looked worried by the sudden sick look on his face. She stood up and approached him.

"Jhiaxus? What's wrong?" she asked.

Jhiaxus struggled to collect himself and when he spoke, he sounded weak. "Eros...how did your mother die?"

Eros was thrown by the question and looked a little unnerved by his sudden, weak voice. "She...She was on a raid on Orion. I was told she was killed by Decepticon troopers." she said, her voice dropping lower.

Specter suddenly sounded stunned. "Oh Primus...Jhiaxus," he whispered, "You were there. That is why I remember that song now." He stood up. "I still had my optics then."

Eros looked at him with shock before she turned to Jhiaxus. He stared at her, his features mixed with strange pain; it looked so alien on him. Compared to his usual, confident expression, he looked like someone had beaten him for no reason. Her optics slowly widened in disbelief and she shook her head, backing away from him. It suddenly began to add up now.

"Oh...Oh my God..." she whispered.

Jhiaxus took a placating step toward her. "Eros..."

"Is it true?" Eros asked, her voice firmer despite the tremble of despair there.

Jhiaxus wavered a bit and lowered his head. He was silent for a long time before answering. "Yes..."

Eros' optics widened. She had silently hoped that it wouldn't be true, but she could see it now. Her lower lip quivered and she shook her head many times, trying to rebuke the truth laid bare. Jhiaxus stared at her and genuinely looked remorseful. Her spark suddenly felt as if someone had stabbed it over and over again.

"And you wanted to finish what you started?" she whispered, "Kill me and then my father?"

"No!" Jhiaxus insisted, reaching out with soothing hands in an attempt to calm her, "This was before I knew you, Eros!"

"And that makes it okay?" Eros suddenly shrieked, lubricant forming around her optics, "This was a game to you all along, wasn't it? You were so anxious to murder my father, you took my mother away from us! And now, you want to lure me away so you can kill me?"

Jhiaxus's features were rigid. "No! I swear to you, that is anything but the truth!" He took another step toward her. "Please, just listen...I beg of you!"

Eros started to leave the hall and glared at him with tears streaming down her face. "You've been lying from the beginning."

"Stop!" Jhiaxus nearly shouted, attempting to grab her wrist.

Eros jerked from him and whirled, her face a rictus of anger and torment. "I never want to see you again!" she shrieked, "I never want to hear from you again. I never want to know you even exist! You killed my mother! You took her away because you're an evil monster! My father and everyone was right about you! Nothing inside of you is even the slightest bit pure! NOTHING!"

Jhiaxus stood there rigidly as she rushed out of the archive hall. Specter had been silent the entire time.

"Jhiaxus?" he finally said.

"Let her go..." Jhiaxus whispered, "She is in pain. She deserves to be angry."

As Eros abandoned the vessel, the sound of her ship's engines blasting away was overlapped by the horrible sound of Jhiaxus' anguished roar.

O

Pontus smiled when Eros walked into the Metroplex that day. She looked rigid and cold to everything around her.

"Eros, you look distraught," he said, in a particularly sneering voice, "Tell me, is something troubling you?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Pontus," Eros replied, "I need to speak with my father."

Pontus stepped in her way. "Any matters concerning Ultra Magnus should be cycled through me first." He tilted his head with a very suggestive smirk. "Think of it at a way for us to get to know each other a little better."

Eros narrowed her optics. "Stand aside or I will move you myself."

Pontus suddenly moved on her, slamming his hands on either side of her head with a furious hiss in his vocals. Eros barely flinched, but reacted with a soft grunt when he brought his lips close to her audio receptor. His voice whispered out mocking and cruel.

"I know where you've been going, Eros," he hissed.

Eros' optics widened in horror. When Pontus looked at her, she resumed an impassive expression. Internally, she was mortified and could not stop the pounding sensation in her spark. "Do you really?" she asked, calmly; her words dripped with sarcasm next and she rolled her optics, "Enlighten me with your bounty of infinite wisdom, Pontus."

He chuckled cruelly and straightened. "I did not know at first. I can't see how anyone would," he sneered, "But when you defended him at the dinner, I had a suspicion. Your childish behavior could very well be enough proof for a clever bot. Fortunately, not many of those exist but myself."

Eros laughed with contempt. "Bright little fragger, aren't you?" she said, "But tell me, do you have any proof of this accusation? Because that's all it is."

Pontus smirked at her. "Mark my words, precious thing; you will mess up. When you do, I might be convinced to persuade the council to spare your life." He leaned forward. "But between the two of us? I think that Jhiaxus is undeserving of one as fair as you. Soon, you will see things my way. When you do, I look forward to having you run to me, begging for mercy."

Eros suddenly drove her fist into his nose. The blow knocked Pontus off of his feet and he slouched against the wall. The sight of him falling and Eros storming away caught the attention of Tau as he appeared in the corridor. He quickly knelt down to help him stand and Pontus gripped his shattered olfactory sensor. It gushed bright blue Energon and oozed from between his fingers as he struggled to stop the flor.

"What happened?" Tau asked.

Pontus chuckled and let the flow of Energon trickle down his lips. "She's spirited, just like her mother," he hissed, "I'm going to enjoy breaking her."

Eros stormed to her father's office and found Ultra Magnus behind his desk. He looked up, surprised to see her. "Eros, what is it?"

"I need to talk to you," she said.

Ultra Magnus shook her head. "It'll have to wait. I have these files that need to be-"

Eros frowned impatiently. "I'm sorry, father, but you need to make time for this."

Ultra Magnus blinked slightly before he leaned back in his chair. "Very well. What do you want to talk about, Eros?" he asked.

"Mother." Eros snapped.

Ultra Magnus' optics flickered with warmth for a moment before he frowned. "What about her?"

Eros turned toward a portrait hanging over her father's desk; it was a family one of her mother, her father and herself together. The three of them looked proud and yet happy. Eros even thought to herself that her father was smiling. Rarely did he smile and there were reasons for that; he had lost his bond mate and rarely ever smiled. Even when he did, his optics were always sad. He restrained that often by working hard and hardly ever engaging with others.

"How did mother die?" Eros asked, continuing to stare at the portrait on the wall.

Ultra Magnus' fists tightened at his desk. "I've already told you. It was war, Eros. She was killed in war."

Eros scowled and whirled on him. "So you're telling me that she just dropped dead of her own accord then?" she snapped, "Tell the truth, father. She was killed by Jhiaxus. It's the only reason you despise him as much as you do."

Ultra Magnus jolted in his desk and he suddenly stood up, startling her briefly. "How do you know that?" he demanded.

Eros wavered a bit before staring at him with defiance in her gaze. "So you're not denying that you kept it from me then?"

"I want to know where you heard that from!" Ultra Magnus suddenly shouted, startling her a bit with his abrupt increase in volume, "The only ones who knew about that were myself, the soldiers on your mother's unit and the council members!"

Eros laughed angrily. "And were you ever actually going to tell _me_? Your own daughter?" she shouted back, "Did you think I might want to know about it?"

Ultra Magnus sighed and hung his shoulders. "I wanted to make perfectly sure you were focused!" he snapped, "Going into battle with vengeance in your spark is a quick route to the scrapheap! I couldn't let that happen to the only family I have left!"

Eros scoffed in disbelief. "So you'd lie to keep me from getting angry at you?"

"That's not the point I'm trying to make!"

"Then please explain it to me, father," Eros spat, throwing her hands in the air, "I'm obviously missing something!"

Ultra Magnus glared at her sternly. "Sit down."

"No."

"I am ordering you to sit down."

Eros shook her head defiantly. "No. I'm not one of your little foot soldiers, father. I'm your daughter."

Ultra Magnus stood up from his chair and his words nearly shook the room around them. "You are an Autobot of the army and therefore under MY authority!" he thundered, "So I am ORDERING you as your AUTHORITY to take a seat!"

Eros continued to glare at him before she eventually, and quite bitterly took a seat in a chair in front of his desk. Ultra Magnus stared at her sternly, his lips pursed tight in silence before he slowly sat back into his chair. The anger drained from his face as he watched Eros fume silently in her chair. He watched her for a moment before he took a weary sigh and rubbed his forehelm, leaning back with a dull creaking sound.

"Eros, why do you make me yell at you like that?" he muttered, his voice even once more. "You know I don't like yelling."

She snorted with annoyance now. "It's never stopped you before."

Ultra Magnus flashed a look of irritation before it disappeared. He leaned forward and exhaled softly before he shut his optics. "Your mother was close to death when they brought her back to me," he said, quietly, "I don't think anything had ever hurt as much as seeing her lying on that stretcher...bleeding her life away. I think she was in shock this last several moments because she kept asking me over and over again if you were all right. She was more worried about you than her own life."

Eros suddenly felt very sick and hung her head.

"Now then, what else do you wish to learn?" Ultra Magnus asked, evenly.

Eros blinked for a moment before she sighed and shook her head. "N-Nothing. I should go."

Ultra Magnus nodded silently and watched as she disappeared from his office. He exhaled softly and turned, looking up at the portrait of his family. Eros wasn't the only one who missed her mother; Ultra Magnus missed his beloved bond mate all the time and he missed that comforting voice.

"What would you do?" he murmured.

O

The puddle of organic green blood ripped over Jhiaxus' soaked form.

He was clutching a wriggling, wounded alien by the head and dragging him across the burning field. The alien kicked and thrashed, struggling to pry the fingers from his head as Jhiaxus silently dragged him toward his ship.

Jhiaxus' gaze was ice cold, empty of any slight emotion that he had with Eros. He brought the kicking alien up to his drones and flung him against the ship.

"My Lord, the planet's been taken," one of the drones said.

Jhiaxus regarded him with cold indifference. "Good..."

The alien beside him suddenly chuckled weakly and Jhiaxus looked down at him.

"You're walking toward your own death, Decepticon," he whispered, "Soon, you'll lose so much more and you'll be the one who comes begging!"

He laughed and Jhiaxus suddenly punched him hard in the face with a fierce snarl. The blow was so strong and swift, it cracked the alien's jaw and sent a spray of blood across the field, staining it with unholy green. The alien fell to the ground afterwards, dead. Jhiaxus turned his attention then to the imprisoned aliens near the drones and grinned wickedly, licking some of the alien blood from his soaked knuckle joints.

"Do you know what my 'proud' enemies do when I finally find them?" he whispered; he advanced on them and they huddled together, shivering with fright, "They scream and they cry, pleading for their miserable lives."

The drones watched silently as Jhiaxus tore the prisoners apart without mercy. He was driven by his blood lust once more, only this time was different. This time, there was another emotion that carried with it.

Grief.

Once he was finished, he turned attention to the drones, his body soaked with alien blood. "I need a shower..." he murmured, entering the ship.

Meanwhile, Eros was sitting alone in the rain. She was on the planet that she had often gone to with Jhiaxus but this time, she was the only one there. She leaned against her ship and hung her head in her arms, taking a moment to cry at what had happened between them.

It wasn't fair.

She had felt something for him. She had seen beyond his own flaws and felt more connected with him than any other. Things had been feeling like they made sense when suddenly, it was all yanked away. Eros still couldn't stop thinking of the Decepticon Lord who looked at her like she was more than just another Autobot. He held her with his optics and dared to express emotion for her. But when he confessed to her mother's murder...

Eros looked up at the twin moons overhead and wept again.


	7. Part Seven

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Seven**

An entire-practically too long-solar cycle had gone by since she had seen him.

Eros was kneeling over her ship in the Iacon Repair Vaults, watching as Perceptor and Ananke surveyed the engine. Ananke was kneeling inside the booster and covered in grease stains. Perceptor was scanning the screen for fluctuating Energon levels.

"Look, I checked it this morning and it was running fine," Eros snapped, placing her hands on her hips. She jumped back with Ananke as a spark snapped through the air from the booster and growled in frustration. "Primus, this thing is useless!"

Perceptor looked at her. "YOUR SHIP REQUIRES A REPLACEMENT PRIMARY BOOSTER," he informed her, "THE ENERGON LINES ARE CORRODED AND WILL ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED."

Eros rolled her optics. "And how much is that going to cost me?"

"I DO NOT KNOW YET," Perceptor replied, "I WILL HAVE THE ESTIMATE SHORTLY."

Eros smiled rather bitingly as Perceptor walked away, leaving her alone with Ananke. The other femme watched him go before she stood up and placed her wrench down. "All right. What is it?" she asked, calmly.

Eros looked surprised. "What?" she asked.

"You're hiding something."

"I'm not hiding anything."

Ananke looked at her with a gentle, encouraging smile. "Eros, you can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone."

Eros shook her head and she looked distracted. "Look, I have to leave," she said, impatience in her voice laced with the barest hint of depression, "I have to clear my central processor a bit. If Perceptor comes back, tell him that what I need can be put on my account." Then, she realized what she said and arched her optic ridges. "And if you see that aft Pontus lurking around here for me, tell him to kindly keep his olfactory sensors out of my business unless he wants me to break it again."

Ananke looked shocked as Eros left the repair vaults without so much as a second word; she transformed and drove away. No sooner had she left, Ultra Magnus rode up and transformed, looking at Ananke inquisitively.

"Where is Eros?" he asked, "I want to speak with her."

Ananke wavered a bit and returned attention to her task. "I-I haven't seen her, commander."

Ultra Magnus grimaced with an impatient sigh and shook his head. "Eros can't continue to run off like this," he muttered, turning to go, "Please tell my daughter that. I know that she would listen to you before she would me."

Ananke rolled her optics as Ultra Magnus left. "Heh. Yeah, sure she would."

While her father left, Eros took a moment to ride down the streets of Iacon, hoping to clear her processor that way. She transformed and stopped at an intersection, casting her gaze toward the park; several Autobots were in the middle of discussion or laughing. A few passed her and gave her acknowledgements or waves, but she barely even noticed them. Her mind wandered to places she did not want it to go. To the powerful, startling and proud Decepticon Warlord who made her spark flutter every time she was even in the same room with him.

Why was she always thinking of him?

Eros had always been taught of their wicked ways. She had seen the extent of their abilities and witnessed their capacity for evil. Jhiaxus had taken her mother from her and Eros knew what she should have felt. She should have been angry. She should have utterly despised him.

But she didn't. At least, not anymore.

Eros' attention turned toward Rosanna; a pink Autobot singer walking her pets and she was almost trampled by Ramhorn. Rosanna gave her an apologetic smile before continuing forward.

"Sorry! He's been a bit moody today!" she said.

Eros barely smiled. "It's okay."

She watched Rosanna walk away with her pets and her optics drifted to two young lovers at the street corner; one appeared to be shy about displaying his affections to the femme and she was also mildly awkward.

Eros sadly smiled at that.

_Why can't it ever be that easy?_

O

The twin moons had never been more welcoming than that day.

Eros leaned back in the grass near her ship, optics closed and savoring the feel of the fireflies against her chassis. She left the gentle breeze clear her head a bit, but it didn't do much good. She still felt a sense of emptiness that couldn't fade away.

Then, a small shuffle drew her attention toward a collection of alien trees. She frowned and sat up, catching a glimpse of white and gray among them. Frowning, Eros stood and slowly approached the faint movement.

Jhiaxus.

She could see him standing near a gentle stream, watching the water with an impassive expression on his face; he didn't appear to see or notice her. Eros noticed no glory in his face as he often had before; there was no joy, no nothing. He just watched the passing water with a barely audible sigh. When she moved just an inch, he jerked his head back and looked right at her. His optics flickered with warmth briefly.

They didn't say anything for a while and just watched one another. It was Eros who broke the silence.

"Jhiaxus..." she began, uncertain of what to say. She was still so angry about the truth that she had learned about him, but also...lost. She felt confused because while she was angry, she was still happy to see him standing there.

Jhiaxus said nothing. He just...watched her.

When she took a careful step forward, she could actually see in the fading light the extent of his emotions; a mixture of frustration and anger, but more prominently, there was pain. Pain in his fiery red optics that kept her from coming closer. She actually took a step back; Jhiaxus actually looked like his old self again. He looked like that unchecked, blood thirsty monster that she had seen in image before she had met him.

Eros sighed and collected her thoughts. She wasn't afraid, just...careful. "I'm not really angry anymore, Jhiaxus," she said, softly, "I'm sad. I'm sad because it's so easy for you to take a life and most importantly, the life of someone I loved. Does life really mean so little to you? Can you truly kill someone without so much as a second thought? I want to know what I really mean to you, Jhiaxus. I want to know if you would ever do that to me."

Jhiaxus flinched at that and his optics widened with a grimace of anger on his face. "I would NEVER lay a hand against you, Eros..." he said, in a tight voice, finally speaking.

Eros groaned and looked away, torn at the sight of raw emotion flickering in his gaze.

Jhiaxus watched her for a moment before he turned completely, facing her. He took a careful, placating step toward her. "Eros...I know what I've done to you," he told her, his voice low and weak, even to himself, "In the time I have been apart from you, my existence has been without a semblance of meaning. I've torn apart my enemies, slaughtered countless and none of them have given me a moment's reprieve of your face in my mind." He looked at her startled expression and sadly smiled. "For the things I have done; for causing you such grief and such agony, I would do whatever it takes to to make it better."

Eros felt her chest grow heavy at his words.

Jhiaxus continued, speaking gentle and yet proud all at once. "But there is something that I will not apologize for; I refuse to apologize for what you have awakened in me. I refuse to apologize for the miracle Primus has blessed me with. For the first time in millions of solar cycles, I felt something I thought I had never even had. I feel nothing but feelings of gratitude for your presence and the greatest sensation of joy. For that? No. I will never feel sorry and nothing in the universe will ever hope to change it."

Eros' optics widened and lubricant began to form at the corners of her optics.

"However..." Jhiaxus said, much softer now. He reached behind him and took one of his swords, holding it out to her, "If you truly feel the ache of vengeance still burning in your spark, come and claim it." He watched the horror touch her face and once more, sadly smiled at her. "To be taken by your hand... I would grant no other this choice. Come and take your revenge. You have every right to it, Eros. I will not stop you."

Eros couldn't believe what he was asking. She stared down at the sword offered to her before she approached him and slapped him across the face. Jhiaxus took the blow without so much as a murmur of pain and Eros cupped his face, tearfully leaning forward.

"Primus damn you, Jhiaxus," she moaned.

She dropped to her knees, taking him with her as she threw her arms around his shoulders, pressing her face against his cloak. Jhiaxus held the back of her neck in one hand and wrapped his other arm around her.

"You killed my mother..." Eros whispered, voice trembling against his audio receptor, "I know I should hate you, but I can't. I can't hate you. It wouldn't make a difference; she will still be dead and I'll simply be left with a sick feeling in the pit of my internals. Why is it that I can't bring myself to hate you for that?"

It wasn't really a question Jhiaxus felt that he should answer or had the right to answer. While Eros spent a moment weeping into his cloak, he just held her and let her do so. After a while, she parted and uttered a swift intake of air before grumbling softly, wiping her optics with one hand. She felt embarrassed by her tears, but then again, her spark felt much lighter and relieved that she had cried at all, even if it was in front of him.

"I hate crying," she muttered, "I always feel so pitiful."

Jhiaxus chuckled gently. "I'd rather you did, Eros."

She looked up at him with a smile she knew probably looked ridiculous, but he didn't show signs of any kind of surprise at it. Instead, he leaned forward and reached up, delicately cupping her face and gently touching the undersides of her audio receptors. He looked at her, his optics asking permission and when she didn't refuse, he tilted his head and let his lips brush lightly against her own. That same shudder from the first time he had kissed her returned and she let herself feel it.

Eros closed her optics and leaned forward, murmuring softly against his lips. She felt his fingers as they gently-almost sensuously-stroked her face, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold him closer. It was the second time he kissed her, but she reached a delightful, yet frightening conclusion: she didn't want to kiss anyone else but him.

Jhiaxus parted from her with a soft sigh and leaned his forehelm against hers. "For all that I have done, I swear to atone for you."

Eros held him close to her. Despite the sick sensation in the pit of her internals, her spark felt a surge of peace.

O

Ultra Magnus was busy at work typing up his reports when Eros stepped into his office and put her arms around his neck, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He looked surprised by the gesture and she smiled down at him.

"Good day, father," she greeted.

"Um, yes...uh..." Ultra Magnus began, still confused by Eros' abrupt change in attitude, "Hello, Eros. Is there something you need?"

Eros smiled and shook her head. "Nothing really. I wasn't busy at the moment and I just thought I'd come by and give my father a warm good morning." She reached behind her and placed a bottle on his desk, announcing her offering in a sing-song tone. "I brought your favorite!"

Ultra Magnus sighed and slouched his shoulders, giving her a knowing look. "What do you want, Eros?" he asked, in an even voice.

Eros laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Can't a daughter do something nice for her father?"

"Not unless that certain _daughter _had something she wanted from her certain _father_. That certain daughter's mother used to do the same thing."

Eros smiled brightly and shook her head at that. "Well, maybe this time, I don't have anything I want." She turned and started to go, but not before calling back to him. "Have a good day, father! I'm off to practice!"

Ultra Magnus blinked, amazed as she disappeared. Eros shared her good mood with Alpha Trion in the corridors with a cheerful smile. "Good day, Alpha Trion!"

He too looked equally befuddled by her change in behavior before he stepped into Ultra Magnus' office. "It seems that Eros is doing well again," Alpha Trion mused, "I was growing concerned for a moment there."

Ultra Magnus nodded his head. "Yes..." Then, he frowned curiously at him. "Did you wish to see me for something?"

"Something's going on with Pontus," Alpha Trion told him, his features a mask of uncertainty and suspicion, "He's been rather dodgy lately."

"When is he never?"

"This is different. Yesterday, I saw him going through Eros' ship."

Ultra Magnus' hands paused at his keyboard and he looked up at him with concern. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know," Alpha Trion replied, knotting his brow, "I immediately confronted him about it and he simply laughed it off, telling me that 'it was nothing'. I'm beginning to think that he's up to something more than he's leading us to believe." He sighed and shook his head. "If I may be so bold, I have never trusted him to begin with, but this is different. He seems obsessed with something. Something that we're not seeing."

Ultra Magnus leaned back in his chair with a murmur. He looked deeply troubled.

"Pontus has always kept an unprofessional optic on my daughter," he said, softly, "But he's never been stupid enough to attempt anything."

Alpha Trion didn't seem very certain. "I would keep a watch out for him just in case."

Ultra Magnus was silent for a moment, clearly thinking about this. "Yes, of course."

Outside of the Metroplex, Eros observed her unit in training. She immediately ran on the field where Two-Times was in the middle of practicing sprints and ran alongside him. He was panting heavily through his intakes and limping a bit.

"Come on, Two-Times!" she yelled, "A Decepticon army's on your tailpipe! Move that aft!"

Two-Times groaned. "I can't... Too tired-Tired."

Eros laughed as she kept pace with him. "Then you need a little added motivation, Two-Times." She looked toward an Autobot drone and nodded her head.

He acknowledged and prepared a cannon turret. It unleashed a dummy blast at Two-Times' heels and the mech yelped in fright, sprinting much faster ahead of Eros. She couldn't stop her laugh as he blasted through the training field like a possessed maniac. She didn't see Ultra Magnus step into the fields until she turned. He gestured for her to come to him with one hand.

"Eros, I wonder if I could have a word with you in private," he said.

Eros shook her head and indicated her unit. "Oh. No, I need to..."

"No. Please." Ultra Magnus insisted.

Eros shrugged and looked over to Ananke. "Keep them busy while I'm gone."

Ananke nodded and Eros joined her father outside of the training field. Once they were in a perfect spot out of anyone's sight, Eros turned to him expectantly.

"What's wrong, father?" she asked.

"I want to know if Pontus has ever approached you in an...unprofessional or intimidating manner," Ultra Magnus said

Eros' optics clouded with unease; what did her father have to suspect that Pontus was up to something? Did Pontus lay down any form of subtle hints about Jhiaxus and herself? Then again, if he had, she knew her father would be raising the very depths of the Pit about it. Right now, he only looked concerned. She didn't want to make it any worse and simply shook her head, frowning and feigning confusion to his words.

"No. Why would he?" she asked.

Ultra Magnus' brow creased sternly. "I am not joking, Eros. I want you to be honest with me. Has he approached you behind my back?"

Eros snorted. "Father, this is hardly appropriate."

"Don't you tell me what is hardly appropriate. Tell me the truth."

Eros sighed impatiently. "I'm not having this argument, father; not now." She looked up at him with a smile. "Everything's fine. You have nothing to worry about. Pontus is just doing what he does best; snooping around because he has nothing better to do with his time." She paused and noticed the glimmer of doubt in her father's gaze. "I'm doing fine, father. I promise you, I'm good. There is nothing that you need to be concerned with."

Ultra Magnus sighed and nodded his head, seemingly satisfied for the moment. "Good. So when we approach the Council during meeting-" He cut himself off when Eros gave a bored groan and continued with arched optic ridges, "-As I was saying; you will be there and you will hold your glossa this time around him."

Eros gave him an impassive, almost humorous look. "I will make no such promise, father."

O

Jhiaxus was disturbed by what Eros told him about Pontus.

"This is troubling, Eros," he said, showing his fangs; it wasn't a gesture directed to her, but to the situation and its entirety, "That fool can become quite an issue. If you require, I can always make him disappear."

Eros looked stunned before she shook her head. "No, Jhiaxus; he's a fragger. He's not worth it," she told him, "He suspects something, but I don't think he has any crucial evidence to prove to anyone where I've been going."

Jhiaxus still seemed doubtful, but nodded his head. "Alright."

Eros took a sigh, but then her optics lit up briefly. "Oh! I brought you something." She reached behind her.

Jhiaxus looked interested. "You did?"

"Yeah. I made this for you," Eros said, pulling an object from her side compartment. She suddenly looked back at him. "No peeking." Jhiaxus arched his optic ridges at her and she laughed. "Just close your optics."

He finally gave in and closed his optics. Eros placed something into his hands and he stared down at it; it looked like a piece of jewelry or shoulder strap with a set of twin moons dangling from the end. The metal was red and twisted with blue. Jhiaxus looked at her and she gave a sheepish smile.

"It's for your shoulder. I added the moons in honor of our planet," she offered, taking it and fastening it to the tubes of his left shoulder, "I had originally made it before we..." She cut herself off and grimaced before shaking her head. "Well, I finished it today. I thought you'd enjoy this silly little thing I made."

Jhiaxus stared down at the gift and couldn't resist a smile. "Indeed. I adore it, Eros. I am honored to have something made from your own hands."

Eros' face plates heated and she laughed softly. "I hope it doesn't look too silly."

"Not at all," Jhiaxus said, smiling with pride, "I shall wear it always." Then, his pride deflated to a degree and he looked somewhat ashamed. "My only regret is that I have yet to give you a gift."

She chuckled and waved that off. "Don't worry about that."

Jhiaxus stood up and took her hands in his. She blinked in surprise and he looked dead serious now. "I will find something worthy of you, Eros."

Eros could only utter a murmur of amusement and leaned forward, sharing another kiss with him.

_He doesn't know. He's already given me one..._


	8. Part Eight

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Eight**

Eros traveled toward the location of Jhiaxus' ship that day with a smile on her face. She had free time to spend and nothing at all to do the next day, so she was in no rush to leave him this time. She was grateful for that too.

As her ship drifted through space, two ships screamed passed her and she blinked in surprise, glancing back in shock.

"What the frag?" she cried.

The two ships twisted back around and flew toward her. Just moving away in time, Eros was barely able to dodge the oncoming enemy ships as they unleashed a fierce barrage of laser fire directly for her ship. She grunted sharply and twisted, swerved and spun around through space and asteroid debris with the other two following close behind. Eros glared over her shoulder and prepared two weapon turrets on the wings of her ship.

"Okay, you want to play?" she spat, "I'll play."

Eros twisted back around to get a shot and began to unleash a shower of laser fire at the attackers. They split in separate directions and one of them fired at her. She narrowly missed one of the shots, but another ripped through the side of her ship, taking out the left turret. Eros uttered a furious curse and attempted to turn back around to get a better shot with her remaining turret, but another shot from the same ship shredded her ship's hull like paper.

Sparks went flying from Eros' ship's console and warning alarms blared out.

"ATTENTION, SHIP HAS SUSTAINED CRITICAL DAMAGES," her ship announced in a monotone voice, "WEAPON SYSTEMS ARE OFFLINE-"

Eros growled in frustration and yanked out the voice box of the ship. "Yes, yes, I know!"

Just then, she looked up and saw the two ships turn completely to face her. She watched as two cables slid out of each one and attached themselves to her vessel. An electrical current surged through them and into her. She let out a shriek of agony and slipped into unconsciousness, slumping over the console of her ship. The two assailants moved in and her ship door was torn open. Two Decepticon troopers moved inside and picked her up.

Their ships traveled through space until they reached a slightly larger Decepticon vessel. Eros was still completely out cold as the Decepticons dragged her down the dark corridors, her heels scraping across the floor. They dragged her to the maintenance garage of the ship and shoved her into a seat, strapping her down with clamps. Voices filled the air; one in particular was lower, colder and snarled out his words.

"I know this one," he hissed, "This is Ultra Magnus' daughter."

"What should we do with her, Rampage?"

"I have a thought."

Eros blinked dazedly and began to regain consciousness. She looked up into several feral faces staring down at her; each one appeared to transform into a beast of some kind and they were golden with red edges. One in the middle stood taller than the rest; he had a horned helm and ridges around his neck that looked similar to an Earthly Lion. His fangs were long and one appeared to be chipped off, perhaps from battle. His optics were red with golden slits and when he grinned, they seemed to light up.

"Rampage..." Eros whispered, "The big cat himself."

Rampage smiled. "The daughter of Ultra Magnus himself. My boys certainly took great care in bringing you to us," he hissed, "I think we could definitely put this to good work with your old fool of a father. Or maybe we can get something out of you instead."

Eros laughed with contempt. "You're wasting your time. I'm not telling you anything."

The Decepticons around Rampage chuckled softly, but their leader wasn't smiling. Instead, he bent forward in front of her. "You don't want to say anything about anything you might know?" he said, in a voice that carried a dark threat to it, "Because I should let you know right now that you are in for a world of red delights should you refuse to cooperate."

"Should I be afraid?" Eros sneered.

Rampage laughed nastily now. "Right down to the very pit of your puny little gestation chamber," he said, "You see, you are behind closed doors; in the shadows of the Elite Guard's optics. Anything we do to you will never reach them." His grin widened now and showed nothing but dangerous fangs. "Do you think we should go easy on you, little thing? Simply because you're a femme?"

Eros glared at him defiantly. "No."

A laugh emerged from Rampage's mouth. "I'm so glad we agree."

He stood up and clenched one of his fists in her face. A fold of armor slid up over the joints, revealing dangerous tips distinctly similar to human brass knuckles. Eros tensed, knowing that what was going to come was no doubt pain.

"Hold her." Rampage ordered.

O

Jhiaxus stood at the bridge, staring out into space with a troubled look on his face.

"My Lord?"

He blinked and glanced down at a drone. "What?"

"We've picked up something you might be interested in hearing," the drone said, "Rampage's crew was seen traveling through the asteroid field. They reported to the Decepticons that they succeeded in apprehending an Autobot on their scouting patrols."

Jhiaxus sighed impatiently, his chest swelling with his exhalation. He was more concerned with Eros, not with a random excursion. "And why should this be of any interest to me?"

"They-They claim its Ultra Magnus' daughter."

Jhiaxus' optics widened in horror. He followed the drone to the console where he brought up a message window, revealing Rampage's features, smirking at his audience. _"My fellow Decepticon brethren. I offer you a gift; a gift of Ultra Magnus' precious daughter. We will use her to worm our way back into Cybertron where we will bring the Autobots to their knees. So far, the prisoner's being rather...defiant. But they always break eventually." _A loud crash sounded from the video as well as a mixture of furious curses filled the air and Rampage glanced back briefly toward its direction before looking at the camera again. _"Excuse me." _

The video ended and Jhiaxus bared his fangs with a murderous hiss. His optics flared with fury. "You fools just made the greatest mistake of your wretched lives..."

Shortly afterwards on the Decepticon ship, Eros was sprayed with water. She choked and gasped, sputtering against the powerful jet of liquid. The Decepticons laughed cruelly at this and Rampage merely cleaned his Energon-soaked knuckles.

"Primus, you're a tough one," he growled, "Most of my victims start crying by now."

Eros uttered a weak groan and her head lolled to one side. She grimaced once before smirking defiantly up at him. Her armor around her helm was cracked and her mouth began to gush Energon once more despite being washed away by the water.

"I'd cry too if I had to endure your pitiful banter for much longer," she hissed.

Rampage's optics widened with a snarl of fury. "Glitch, you just bought yourself several more groons of agony."

He loomed over her and raised his fist to continue the assault when a shout from the farther corners of the ship halted him. The Decepticons in the room also looked equally troubled. Rampage frowned and looked at one of them.

"Go out there and see what those idiots are doing," he ordered.

The Decepticon nodded and stepped out of the room. There was a moment's pause and then, a wet grunt filled the air. The door was suddenly punctured with two blades. The Decepticons in the room looked up in shock as the splits in the door gushed with bright blue Energon. Eros looked equally shocked. The blades yanked free from the door and it was thrown open, clattering across the floor. The Decepticons looked up in shock to see Jhiaxus standing there over the Decepticon corpse, his swords dripping with Energon.

"Jhiaxus?" Rampage growled, "What the frag are you doing on my ship?"

Jhiaxus' optics were flared with hatred and Energon lust. Eros had never seen him look like that when she was around. He had descended into that plain where madness and war were Gods; he was that monster once before. His gaze was as cold and pitiless as the darkest of night and it was directed at the Decepticons in the room.

"I'm here to split you in half, Rampage..." he whispered, his voice sharp and deadly.

The Decepticons looked at one another, stunned and confused that a fellow Decepticon would consider taking their lives for no apparent reason. Jhiaxus regarded each and every face, analyzing the weapons in their hands and calculating a quick, efficient way to kill them. He raised his sword and pointed at each one.

"Eenie...meenie...miney...mo..." he said, stopping at Rampage as he did.

Then, all hell broke loose. With a chorus of snarls, Decepticons lunged for Jhiaxus. He moved swiftly, his swords blurring through the air almost too fast for optics to keep up. Gunshots sounded and lasers ricocheted all around; Eros attempted to avoid them and rolled to one side, falling flat on her face with a murmur of pain. She twisted to look up as Jhiaxus cut down Decepticons in his path without a semblance of mercy.

Jhiaxus snarled and grabbed a Decepticon, punching him in the face over and over before whirling on another. He stalked murderously toward him as the Decepticon fired a shot at Jhiaxus' shoulder. It ripped through the metal and sent a spray of Energon through the air, but Jhiaxus' gait never wavered; it was as if he barely felt the shot at all. The Decepticon's optics widened in disbelief and he lowered his weapon slightly. Jhiaxus drove both of his swords into his throat before lashing out, severing the Decepticon's head clean off.

He moved like a storm of fury, cutting his way into two more charging Decepticons. He whirled again, slicing another clean in half. A remaining Decepticon made a break for it, rushing out through the open door. Jhiaxus hissed and flung his sword, sending it spinning end over end before it punched through the fleeing Decepticon's chest. The Decepticon spasmed in pain and gagged before collapsing to the floor, dead.

Jhiaxus took a moment to catch his breath before he immediately moved to Eros' side. "Eros!" he gasped, "Are you alright?"

She winced as he turned the chair right side up before flashing a weak smile. "They tried to make me talk. I gave them nothing."

Jhiaxus smiled at her, feeling absurdly proud of her fortitude. Then, he tore the bonds from her wrists and helped her stand. "I'm sorry you had to bear witness to this," he said, "But when I had heard that they had taken you...I could not stop. I had to tear them apart for what they did."

Eros shook her head and seemed slightly unnerved by the massacred bodies around her, but only for a brief moment. She would rather have just left the ship completely and not worry about anything else right now. "Let's just get out of here, Jhiaxus," she told him, "We can talk once we're back on your ship."

"Very well."

As they departed, there was movement among the massacred Decepticons. Rampage was lying in his own fluids with his arm missing. He watched the departing pair with a weak snarl emerging from his vocals.

O

Eros watched as Jhiaxus tended to her wounds. She was quiet the entire time, sitting on the table as he worked; he still looked very angry as he cleaned up the Energon from her neck and face and hadn't said so much as a peep since he had brought her to the medical wing. Jhiaxus had even cleared out everyone in the wing for reasons she did not know; maybe he was just too angry at what had happened to deal with anyone else but her. She decided to say something to help calm him.

"Jhiaxus, I'm fine," she assured him. She held up her wrist and wriggled it around for emphasis. "See? It doesn't even hurt."

He didn't seem satisfied at all by that. "You should never have been in this situation to begin with," he growled, cleaning his hands in a sink near her. He gritted his fangs, clenched his fists and looked like he wanted to literally tear apart the sink faucet head in front of him. His features were tense around his optics and jaws. "I should have done far worse to them. I should have made them truly suffer for what they had done."

Eros smiled reassuringly. "They only got me because I was cocky. I thought I could take a shortcut to reach you faster. It won't happen again."

Jhiaxus let out a sigh and relaxed his tense shoulders. "Eros..."

"I'm fine. They just caught me off guard, but I won't let anyone else next time."

Jhiaxus looked mildly pained for a moment before he approached her and placed his arms around her. She returned the embrace and he sighed, leaning his face against her shoulder. They held one another that way for a moment.

"Eros... I should confess," he said, softly, "I thought they would have killed you. Reaching you became the only important thing. I didn't care how many there were. I would have fought to my last intake to reach you."

Eros closed her optics and smiled at the truth in his words. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck.

"Eros?" he said.

She tilted her head. "Yeah?"

"I love you."

Her optics widened slightly and he chuckled weakly, parting to look up at her. He looked less like a terrifying warlord now and more like an awkward young school mech. "I know you already realized that, but I feel that saying the words are entirely different than knowing them," he told her, "I adore you in every possible way. To think of it... Me? The Great Jhiaxus... Falling for an Autobot." He laughed quietly, shaking his head. "So much has changed since before I met you. But it is a change that I feel blessed to experience. I can only hope you feel the same."

Eros smiled and touched his face with gentle fingers, lightly brushing the crest of his helm affectionately. "Jhiaxus, I'd like to think I always have," she said, "It's just taken me a while to finally admit it to myself."

Jhiaxus' smile was more brilliant than anything Eros had seen. "You will not regret this, Eros," he whispered, holding her close to his chest, breathing in her scent, "I will make you happy. More than anything possible."

Eros slipped her arms around his neck and met his lips with hers. His words warmed her in ways she never imagined. Her fingers trailed down the length of his broad shoulders and captured his sharp ones in her own. He looked down at their interlaced fingers for a moment before feeling his spark twist in a pleasant, aching way. When Jhiaxus looked up at her, his body was wracked with a sudden shiver of anticipation. The way she looked down at him; her optics were partially closed and her lips slightly open. Her gaze reflected love, wonder and even restrained excitement.

"Jhiaxus..."

His voice was soft, yet he cleared his intakes all the same. "Yes?"

"I love you. I want to love you."

Jhiaxus' optics slightly widened before he leaned up, bringing his face close to hers. He realized what she was asking and could not believe his audio receptors. "Do you really want that, Eros?" he asked, surprise lighting his voice.

"I do. I want to be yours."

She tilted her head up and he captured her mouth with his. Jhiaxus uttered a soft sound in his chest and Eros felt it practically vibrate through her own. She slipped her arms around his neck and gasped when he parted and pressed his mouth against the underside of her jaw, lightly dragging his fangs down the slope of her neck. A light touch sent heat down her body and shook her armor. Her cooling fans whirred to life, loud in the silence of the medical wing.

"Jhiaxus..." she breathed, "Wait a moment."

Jhiaxus paused and looked up at her, slightly alarmed. "What is it?"

Eros smiled, a deeply aroused look in her optics. Her voice was husky with desire. "Not here. Let's go somewhere else."

Jhiaxus chuckled softly and slipped his arms beneath her, picking her up. She gave a soft gasp of surprise as he carried her like a human bride would be on their wedding night. She let out a laugh when he carried her down the corridors.

"Where are you taking me, mighty Decepticon?" she played, with an affectionate smile.

"To my chambers, precious Autobot," he purred, "Where I can love you much more properly."

O

Rampage sat in the chair, facing Tau and Pontus with a grimace of disgust. His arm had all but stopped leaking and was repaired with a flimsy digit that the Autobots had so carelessly put on him in agreement to tell them what he knew. Behind him were two Cybertronian security guards, watching him carefully with their laser pistols at the ready should he be foolish enough to attempt anything stupid. Even with stasis cuffs, he was easily a formidable enemy.

"I told you!" Rampage snapped, glaring up at them, "I got cut up for no Primus-damned reason!"

Pontus sighed and paced around the chair. "I have a problem with that, Rampage," he said, "You're not telling me everything."

Rampage snorted gruffly. "Yeah? Well I haven't heard slag about what's in it for me, okay?" he snapped, "Primus, look what that fragger Jhiaxus did to me?" He thrust his sickly-looking arm stump up at them for emphasis.

Pontus tilted his head with interest. "And why would your fellow Decepticon do something like that for no reason?"

"How the frag should I know?" Rampage shouted, shrugging his shoulders with an indignant glare on his face, "We're just minding our own business and he steps in, freaks out and starts killing every single one of my men!" He paused thoughtfully with another gruff snort. "He must have been all crazy over that femme we snatched up."

Pontus' head jerked up now. "Femme?" he said, "What femme?"

Rampage chuckled nastily. "Ultra Magnus' pretty little girl."

Tau and Pontus looked at one another before Pontus leaned forward, slapping his hands on either side of Rampage's arm rests. "What happened? Where is Eros?"

"Eros? Hah. Jhiaxus took her away!" Rampage snapped, "Primus only knows what was up his tailpipe!" He grinned nastily up at Pontus. "Maybe he wanted her for a little plug-and-play. Who the frag even knows."

Pontus smiled inwardly. "So you have reason to believe the two knew each other personally?"

"Frag if I know," Rampage murmured, "I think so."

Tau looked annoyed now. "You don't think, or you don't know?"

Rampage glared at him with an angry smile. "I don't know. Maybe I have amnesia."

Pontus snorted and gestured to the security guards. "Take him to Trypticon Prison," he ordered. He flashed Rampage a cold smile now. "Perhaps being thrown into a tiny cell might help you change your mind."

As Rampage was being picked up, he kicked and thrashed anxiously. "Wait, wait!" he insisted, "I remember now!"

Pontus nodded to the security guards and they loosened their grips on him. Rampage smirked and flicked his chin up with defiance. "Jhiaxus seemed real quick to want to save that femme. See, I've known about this guy for a long time; he's never been one to save anyone, especially an Autobot," he told the two council members, "I don't know exactly what's going on between the two of them but rest assured; I think it's less-than acceptable and quite frankly utterly disgusting."

Pontus smiled. Internally, he was ecstatic to hear this news. "Thank you, Rampage. I can recharge well tonight knowing what I know." He waved his hand in the air. "Take him away."

Rampage fought like a savage as the guards dragged him away. "Wait! You said you'd let me go! Wait!"

Tau watched as Rampage was dragged away before he looked at Pontus warily. "Are we to believe the words of a Decepticon, Pontus?" he asked, "Eros knows better. She would never engage in something so...sinful."

Pontus smiled with contempt. "She wouldn't?" he inquired, "When last I looked, Eros has always been a defiant card. Do we have much to go on? No. But I think this is enough to place the suggestion in her father's mind." He took a swift inhale. "If Eros is discovered to be a traitor to the Autobot cause, her place on the council board with be denied and I will be left to take it. After all, the people would agree once they learn that it was I who brought this traitor to justice."

O

Eros and Jhiaxus were lying together in his berth, bodies ensnared and sparks joined together. She made a soft moan of pleasure, her head tilting back as soft, lips came down upon her throat, gently touching, tasting and biting. He stroked her cheeks lovingly and then ran his fingertips over her closed optics, down to her delicate, smooth cheeks. Eros felt warmth everywhere. The touches were delicate and delicious. It felt like there were flames of absolute heat encircling her and she felt safe in those powerful arms wrapped around her waist.

Eros felt lips touch down upon hers and warm wetness of his glossa sliding into her mouth. The kiss was tender, yet carried with it hidden promises of something much more feral and hungry. Eros didn't know anything else; the outside world was forgotten. The war was forgotten. Hatred. Fear. It all disappeared as she joined with Jhiaxus in body and in spark; a mech who should have been her enemy, but was not. She loved him and he loved her. Their shared emotions came together, comforting them and giving them hope for their future.

"My love..." Jhiaxus whispered against her neck, "My only love."

Jhiaxus sat up, taking her with him. She uttered a gasp at his actions. Metal against metal and lips connecting; it was passionate, erotic. She felt her legs wrap around his waist and her fingers smoothed back down the base of his head, tangling into those delicate wires. His arms encircled her waist, her own slipped around his shoulders and she held on tightly, never wanting to let go. She felt utterly weightless in his powerful arms.

It was drawing so close; that powerful moment where she would plunge into the abyss of sensation. She clung to him desperately, fighting the urge to let go and keep the pleasure from ending. Jhiaxus shuddered beneath her, his mouth latched onto her throat. He was careful with his fangs as he continued to kiss and suck the wires there, encouraging her to let it all go for him. Eros could feel a raging fire drawing closer and closer, pulling itself deep inside of her.

"Let go..." Jhiaxus hissed in her audio, "Come for me."

Eros opened her optics and kissed him on the lips. With each pulse and thrust, she finally tipped over the edge. It felt like fireworks exploded across her vision and her body was subjected to the most amazing feelings and sensations she had ever experienced in her life. Their joined lips muffled her choked cries and sobs and at the corner of her vision, she saw Jhiaxus' features pinch and that calm, apathetic face melted away. Now, he looked like someone close to weeping and he pulled her closer. His body clenched and he let out a wounded, passionate groan that made Eros' spinal relay flood with warmth. She had no idea Jhiaxus could look like that; it was totally opposite to what she had expected.

Once their bodies cooled and they were calm enough to breathe again, Jhiaxus and Eros spent the aftermath of their lovemaking holding one another in the berth.

"I never knew you could be so gentle," Eros said.

Jhiaxus smiled tenderly down at her. "You make me feel that way, Eros." He sighed and shook his head. "I only wish I could be that way all the time."

Eros looked up at him and he never saw a look as beautiful as what she gave him. "You know, I always thought that everyone was right; I never had a bond mate before and it was weird," she said, "For a while there, I never felt interested." A smile lit her face. "Maybe I was just waiting for you."

Jhiaxus chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "That pleases me to hear you say that, Eros."

"Can we stay here in bed for a while?" Eros asked, smiling dreamily at him, "I really don't feel like getting up right now. This day couldn't be any more perfect."

Jhiaxus kissed her forehelm affectionately. "Of course, my love. Anything you wish."

And that was how they stayed for a while, just holding one another for as long as they had the chance.


	9. Part Nine

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Nine**

Eros awoke and noticed that Jhiaxus was no longer in the berth so she climbed out and walked the corridors to find him. Many Decepticons avoided her and pretended like they didn't see her at all. Eros wasn't too bothered by the behavior. She was content with the fact that she could see Specter coming out of the archive hall and approached him.

"Specter, have you seen Jhiaxus?" she asked.

Specter tilted his head. "I thought he was with you."

"He was, but when I woke up, he was gone."

A Decepticon drone was passing and stopped when he heard their exchange. "Jhiaxus went down to the planet for a little while." he told her.

Eros looked surprised. "What planet?"

"You know," the drone said; his voice dripped with slight sarcasm, "The one you and our leader have been running off on. The one you two meet at."

Eros narrowed her optics and chuckled, attempting to keep her frustration in check. She turned so that she faced him completely. "I'm sensing you have a little attitude," she snapped, "Is there anything you want to say to me?"

The drone was not deterred. "None. You do so well on your own, Autobot."

Eros advanced in his face and scowled. "Funny, I don't recall anyone voting for you to open your mouth."

Specter stepped in between them. He held up two hands. "There's no need for that," he chided gently; he looked at Eros. "We have drop ships. You may use one to reach Jhiaxus below."

"Thank you." Eros smiled at him.

Specter led her to where the drop ships were located and she took one down to the planet below. She landed the ship near their usual meeting spot and looked around, but did not see Jhiaxus anywhere. There was another ship there, but no signs of the Decepticon warlord. Eros frowned and looked around before cupping her mouth.

"Jhiaxus!" she yelled, "Jhi-"

There was a loud splash and Jhiaxus surfaced from a river near her. Eros blinked in surprise and walked up to the edge; the river was still and it didn't appear to have any creatures inside of it. Jhiaxus was laughing with delight and gestured to her.

"Eros!" he called, "Where have you been?" He laughed and beckoned to her. "Come. Come play with me, it's wonderful here. The water is perfect!"

Eros laughed and shook her head. "What are you doing in there, you crazy Decepticon?"

"Taking a lovely swim," Jhiaxus said, swimming about with a broad smile, "Come and join me!"

Eros shook her head with amusement. "Okay. You asked for it!"

She sprinted to the river and jumped right in, sending a wicked splash down upon Jhiaxus' head. He blinked and laughed with delight before looking around, noticing that Eros hadn't surfaced yet. He looked around with a frown on his face.

"Eros?" he said.

She suddenly surfaced behind him and slipped her arms around his shoulders. He chuckled and turned so that he faced her properly. They shared a long, tender kiss before parting. Jhiaxus smiled lovingly down at her.

"I love you more than life itself," he sighed, kissing her forehelm affectionately.

Eros smiled up at him. "And this femme loves you right back."

"Good to know."

Eros laughed gently and leaned against his chest. "You know, you act quite tough, but I see now that there's a good in you," she said, "You can make it happen if you try."

She felt his hands tighten slightly against her beneath the water. "If only it were so easy."

Eros parted from him and swam to the shore, climbing on. Jhiaxus followed her and they laid down together, side-by-side. He suddenly smiled and her optic ridges tilted up in response.

"Stay with me," he told her, "I can take you away from it all." He gestured to the planet around them with a broad sweep of his hand. "We could start our own personal Cybertron right here; with me as its king and you as its queen."

Eros chuckled. "A queen? Me? I may have to work on my queenly wave then." She waved her hand toward the sky and mimicked a light, professional tone. "'Thank you for coming here today. We are so glad to have you'."

Jhiaxus couldn't resist his own laugh. Then, he turned serious. "I mean it, Eros. I want us together. I want us to live as one."

Eros' humor disappeared as well as she rolled on her side to look at him. "We can't run away, Jhiaxus. Running away will never make this war end," she chided gently, "I can't leave my father for one thing. He could easily hunt us both down. I don't want that for you."

"I could protect you."

"It's no life to live, Jhiaxus."

Jhiaxus looked disappointed. "Is that your answer then?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

"Jhiaxus, I would love nothing more than to stay here with you and flee from it all," Eros assured him; she waved her hand in the air for emphasis, "Believe me, I would. But if we are to have any peace between us, the have to see that we are happy together. They have to understand that not every Autobot and Decepticon can be enemies."

Jhiaxus sighed and shook his head. "That may take a long time, Eros."

Eros nodded in agreement. "Yes, that may be true. But one day, both sides will find some form of common ground." She looked at him with a look of sadness, though she still smiled. "Until then, I look forward to seeing you every chance I get."

Jhiaxus didn't seem very swayed by this, but he gave a half-hearted smile nonetheless.

"I should return to Cybertron," Eros said, though she didn't feel the want to do so, "I know word got back to my father about my ship's destruction. He's going to be worried."

Jhiaxus nodded in agreement. "Yes. However, you don't have to go right away, do you?"

"No."

He smirked now and rolled so that he pinned her to the ground with his weight. Eros smiled up at him and slipped her arms around his neck. Jhiaxus leaned forward and whispered into her audio receptor; a voice growling and hungry.

"Then that gives us plenty of time for me to ravage you until you are left screaming your passion to the heavens," he purred.

As expected, Eros heated right up. She gave him a playful look and slipped her leg beneath his, flipping him so that she was now on top. He looked momentarily surprised before she too leaned forward in the same manner as he had and purred in a powerful, feminine tone.

"I think this time, it's my turn to make _you_ scream," she whispered.

Jhiaxus moaned quietly, signalling his unquestioned support for the idea. He bared his fangs with a broad smirk and reached up, gripping her inner legs as she straddled his hips. "Then I will leave you in command, my dear."

O

Ultra Magnus didn't look very happy at all. He didn't shout, but stared up at Pontus from his desk. Alpha Trion was there as well and looked equally disturbed.

"That's quite an accusation, Pontus," Alpha Trion said, maintaining a calm tone; his gaze however was stony and rigid, "What proof do you have of this so-called treachery besides the word of a Decepticon?"

Pontus glanced at him with regal boredom. "Save the political for the youth, Alpha Trion," he told him, with a contemptible smirk to follow, "You're passed your expiration date."

Ultra Magnus didn't seem very pleased with the insults. "Enough, Pontus," he ordered.

He took a deep inhale through his intakes and leaned back, clearly in thought about what Pontus had said. Pontus and Alpha Trion began to talk to one another as he was thinking.

"You have always been filled with such contempt for Eros," Alpha Trion told the other council member, "How are we to believe this was simply a ploy to have her place taken?"

Pontus snorted coldly. "You don't know as much as you claim."

"Pontus, you have so blatantly boasted your status. You have gone so far to prove that," Alpha Trion snapped, "But this...this is by far the most petty, vindictive, spiteful machination you have ever concocted."

Pontus looked at him and then to Ultra Magnus with a smirk. "I will find the proof you need, Magnus," he assured him.

Alpha Trion glared after him before turning to Ultra Magnus. "Please don't tell me you are actually considering that bot's words."

Ultra Magnus frowned up at him. "Regardless of how utterly ludicrous his assumptions may be, there are reasons for him bringing them up," he said, "I want to talk with Eros and see what she has to say about these allegations." He stood up and gave Alpha Trion a look. "My daughter was fond of you as a teacher. Perhaps your presence may yield the results we need. In the meantime, I want to keep this in the dark."

Alpha Trion nodded his head. "Of course."

The two older bots ventured out to the ship docks where they found Eros in the middle of conversation with Perceptor. He was surveying the damages done to her ship and Ultra Magnus looked positively mortified.

"Eros!" he exclaimed, "What happened?" Eros looked at him and his optics widened. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look up, seeing the damages done. His voice practically took on a razor's edge. "Who did that to you?"

Eros sighed and jerked from him. "Father, I was jumped by Decepticons."

"_What_?"

"It's fine! They used stun cables on me and took out most of the ship. I hailed Perceptor to send reinforcements to pick me up at the asteroid field."

Alpha Trion's brow knotted and he looked at Ultra Magnus. "That was where Pontus and Tau claimed Rampage was."

Ultra Magnus looked sick, but maintained a stern, calm persona and looked down at Eros. He could not mask the near rage that he tried hard to keep in control. "And was it so that you had been taken away by Jhiaxus?" he demanded.

Eros' spark stopped for a second before she feigned boredom. "Did Pontus put you up to this, father?'

"THIS IS NOT A GAME!" Ultra Magnus suddenly shouted, slamming the handle of his hammer down on the ground, "I want to know the truth!"

His shout caused several others at the dock to stop what they were doing and look back in surprise. Eros sensed their optics on her before she sighed and looked up, staring at him angrily. "You know, it really bothers me that you would take the word of that maniac over your own kin," she snapped, "I was jumped by Decepticons and barely managed to escape with my life. And then, I come home to this? Radical ideas and the crazy suggestions from a mech who's idea of a good time is whipping prisoners in Trypticon Prison?"

"Then explain to me where those marks came from!" Ultra Magnus ordered, gesturing to her face, "Because those do not come from stun cables! They come from someone who had been beaten for several groons!"

Eros glanced at Alpha Trion and the older mech stared at her with a glimmer of uncertainty. "Eros, tell us," he said, "We need to know."

She glanced from one face to the next before she sighed. "Okay, it's true, I was beaten for a while," she admitted, "Rampage took me on board his ship and tried to get information out of me." She watched their expressions go from concerned to horrified. "But I gave them nothing. Jhiaxus was just there at the time and attacked Rampage for whatever reason. I took advantage of the chaos and escaped. That's all."

"That isn't what Pontus told us," Alpha Trion argued.

Eros rolled her optics with dismay and brushed passed them. "I'll fill out a report once I get cleaned up," she told them, "When Pontus is done trying to commit some form of conspiracy, then you know where to find me."

"Eros, we're not done talking about this!" Ultra Magnus warned.

"Yes, we are!" she called back.

Meanwhile, Pontus stood over the immobile Rampage with Tau and Perceptor at his side. They stood in the darkness of the interrogation room of Trypticon Prison.

"It's the only way to be sure," he told them.

Perceptor looked at him. "PERFORMING A CORTICAL PSYCHIC PATCH WAS MADE ILLEGAL BY THE COUNCIL," he said, "THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER MEANS OF RETRIEVING THE INFORMATION."

Pontus glared at him. "Desperate measures must be taken to ensure the safety of Cybertron. If there is a chance that she has betrayed us, it must be brought to light."

Perceptor nodded and retrieved a coiled set of wire. "WHO WILL BE JOINING WITH RAMPAGE?"

"I will," Pontus said, with a smirk, "I will claw through his mind and dig out the information myself." He gestured to Perceptor with a flick of his wrist. "Monitor my vitals if necessary, but there will be no problems."

Perceptor nodded his head.

Pontus took a spot beside Rampage's inert form and closed his optics as Perceptor fitted one end of the coiled wire to the base of his skull and the other to Rampage's. It took a moment before his mind was flooded with Rampage's memories; every explicit detail of the Decepticon's life was laid bare before him, speeding up in fast forward. He smirked when he dug his way through the most recent of Rampage's memories and finally, he saw it. He saw Rampage's last sight of Jhiaxus and Eros together.

"Haha," he whispered, "I've got you, Eros..."

O

A solar cycle later, Pontus approached Ultra Magnus in his office with a data disk, smirking. Ultra Magnus stared down at the offering briefly before frowning up at him. Alpha Trion was there as well and looked mildly annoyed by the presence of the other council member.

"What is this, Pontus?" Ultra Magnus asked, already weary.

"The truth," Pontus assured him, "The truth that your own daughter conspires with Decepticon warlords."

Ultra Magnus scowled at him before he glanced down and stared at the disk. "I'm beginning to believe that these confessions of yours are merely the ramblings of a deluded mech," he snapped, "I will not play your games any longer, Pontus."

Pontus just chuckled calmly and shrugged his shoulder. "This will only take a minute."

Alpha Trion glanced at Ultra Magnus with a glimmer of concern as the Autobot commander placed the disk into a computer on his desk and started it up. Ultra Magnus' gaze was impassive for a moment before his optics slowly widened and he blinked rapidly before scowling up at Pontus.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked, his voice soft with shock.

Pontus smiled. "I retrieved that from Rampage's mind."

Ultra Magnus was stunned. "You initiated a cortical psychic patch?" he exclaimed, standing, "You know that's forbidden!"

Pontus was completely calm about this. "Only in the time of peace," he argued, "However I believe that Eros is fraternizing with our enemy and she must be brought to justice like any other traitor. You know I'm right. And if Eros refuses to reveal the truth, then you know what must be done." His next words came out mildly condescending. "As horrible as it is, it is the only way. The patch will ensure that we learn the truth."

Ultra Magnus glanced down, struggling internally with this. Alpha Trion could see him bleeding resolve and stepped forward. "Please tell me you are not considering this!"

Pontus smirked and held up the wire to Ultra Magnus. "Either you do it, or I will."

Ultra Magnus glowered at him and grabbed the wire. As Pontus started to pull away, he grabbed his wrist with his other hand to stop him. He glared into the Autobot's optics with a look that carried a dark promise.

"When this is done, you will atone for your own crimes, Pontus," he promised, "That much is certain."

Pontus' gaze was pitiless though he still smiled. "I am prepared to accept responsibility, Magnus. Can you say the same?"

Ultra Magnus' gaze was colder than ice before he turned impassively to Alpha Trion. "Where is my daughter now?"

"Magnus, please," Alpha Trion insisted, "Don't go down this path."

Ultra Magnus seemed stricken with mixed emotions, Alpha Trion could see it in his gaze that he tried so desperately to restrain. He brushed passed him and entered the corridors with Perceptor, Pontus and Tau following. Alpha Trion lingered behind, watching the parting Magnus with despair in his optics.

O

Eros looked up in surprise when Ultra Magnus stepped into her apartment without knocking.

"Father?" she said, "What is it?"

Ultra Magnus sighed and collected his thoughts before he looked at her. "Eros, I understand that I may have never been the most congenial of parental units," he told her, "It occured to me that I may have been thoughtless toward your emotions; how you felt and thought about how things are around here."

His tone was different; it was colder and perhaps even a bit covered with pain. Eros frowned and stood up from her chair, staring at him with worry.

"Father, what's wrong?" she asked.

Ultra Magnus continued without consequence. "I can understand how you would seek the company of others. After all, you couldn't very well go to me for your feelings, could you?" He smiled sadly. "That was the reason you left so much after seeing him." He inhaled sharply and his optics grew harder, but the pain still lingered. "You have one last chance to tell me the truth, Eros. Tell me now so that I can save you."

Eros wavered a bit under his stare; she had never seen him stare at her like that. Only did he look that way when he was about to lose her mother. "Truth? I told you."

"No," Ultra Magnus said, slowly advancing toward her, "You told me what I wanted to hear, not what the truth was."

"Father, I-"

"Tell me, Eros," Ultra Magnus was almost pleading with his optics, "Tell me he's wrong. Please, prove him wrong."

Eros backed up until she felt her desk behind her. She looked up at him, meeting that restrained, wounded look. "I have NEVER done anything with Decepticons," she insisted.

"Are you lying to me now?" Ultra Magnus asked, his voice slightly edged.

Eros scowled at him. "How could you even suggest such a thing?" she demanded.

Ultra Magnus stared at her harshly for a moment before he relaxed his shoulders and sighed, closing his optics. When he opened them again, he gestured behind him. "I'm sorry, daughter; you leave me no choice."

Eros looked up when Perceptor, Tau and Pontus entered the apartment. Ultra Magnus picked up the cortical patch wire and turned to her. Eros' optics widened in disbelief when she realized what he wanted to do. She shook her head and backed up when Perceptor took her wrist.

"Father, you can't do this!" she exclaimed.

Ultra Magnus shook his head. "Of course I can't," he argued, furrowing his optic ridges, "But you've forced my hand, Eros."

Perceptor forced Eros into a seat and the femme looked up at her father pleadingly. "Please..."

Ultra Magnus looked deeply remorseful for what had to be done; he fitted one end of the coil to the base of his skull and Perceptor readied the other end to Eros. He nodded to the mech and Perceptor acknowledged with one of his own.

And then, the connection was made.

Ultra Magnus plunged through Eros' mind, seeing every vivid detail of her interactions with Jhiaxus. He even saw their interface and bonding. It became too much for her father to bear and he gave a shout of rage and despair, yanking the connection free. He glared down at his daughter and jerked back as if he had been burned.

"No!" he shouted, "Not my daughter!"

Pontus smirked at him. "Now you see, Magnus?" he said. He looked scornfully at Eros. "Do you see her for what she is?"

Ultra Magnus stared down at Eros desperately. "I wanted to believe everything you told me," he hissed, "I wanted to accept that you were not running away to see him. To see our enemy! I cannot believe what you've done! How could you even lay with him?"

Eros frowned up at him, sorrow in her gaze. "Father, you saw it. You know that I love him."

"Love him?" Ultra Magnus shouted in disbelief, "How could you even consider harboring feeling emotions for a Decepticon? Let alone our true enemy! Have you forgotten what he did to your mother? HAVE YOU?"

Eros nodded her head gravely. "I know what he has done!" she argued, "But I am not ashamed for my love for him, father." She looked up at him defiantly. "Nothing you can say or do will ever change how I feel."

Pontus took a step forward, chuckling rather cruelly. "I'm glad you are so eager to defend yourself, Eros," he told her, "Now you'll be lucky if I can convince the council or the people of Cybertron to spare your life." He gestured to Tau and Perceptor. "Take her away."

Eros looked at him as she was led down the halls. Her words were grave now and still as defiant as ever. "I'm not afraid of death, Pontus. Can you say the same?"

Pontus just smirked. "I wonder how Jhiaxus would feel."

Eros' optics widened and she scowled. "Leave him out of this."

"I'm afraid we can't do that. Think of this as our way of finally capturing the Legendary Jhiaxus."


	10. Part Ten

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Ten**

Eros hadn't realized just how long she was in the cell until Alpha Trion stepped inside and spoke with the two guards standing next to him. They were talking about the solar cycles that had passed and little of it really made any difference to her. Eros looked up at him and saw the sadness on his face, the rigid pain in knowing what had to be done.

"It's time to go, Eros," he told her.

She nodded. "I'm ready."

"Are you ready to cooperate?"

"No."

Alpha Trion's optics flickered with warmth and he wavered for a split second, hoping that it would not come to this. He bent down on one knee in front of her, speaking gently. "Look, all they want is one little piece of information from you. That's it." he said, softly, "Just give them something, anything that they can use. Then you can go free without so much as a second glance."

Eros knew what he was doing and a chuckle escaped her. "I appreciate your concern, Alpha Trion," she replied, "And I am grateful to have had you as a teacher. But I could never betray myself or the one I love to satisfy their fears." She closed her optics and still looked calm, despite the possibility of death lingering on her shoulders. "Somehow in the far corners of my spark, I knew it wouldn't last, but I wanted to hope. I wanted to believe that it could change the course of this war."

Alpha Trion nodded his head. He gave her a sad smile. "I will do what I can to persuade the council otherwise. We both know you are no traitor."

Eros returned the smile. "Thank you."

Meanwhile, Jhiaxus was standing in the bridge of his ship, staring into the darkness of the stars with a concerned frown on his face. He heard the whooshing of the doors behind him and glanced down at a drone who rushed up breathlessly.

"Master! Something's happened!" he panted, "It's Eros!"

Jhiaxus' optics widened in shock. "Eros? What's happened to her?" he demanded, "Speak quickly!"

"She is under trial for treachery," the drone told him, "The Autobots know."

Jhiaxus nodded his head with desperation and turned attention to the pilots. "We're going to Cybertron to save her," he commanded.

"But my Lord-" the drone protested.

Jhiaxus suddenly leveled one of his swords a mere inch from the drone's face, those blood-red optics flashing with menace. He bared his fangs and hissed out his next words. "Are you out of thought to object to my command?"

The drone shivered in fright and shook his head. "N-No, master."

"Then let's make haste," Jhiaxus said, turning, "I will not lose her!"

O

Eros stood, cuffed before the crowd of Autobots on top of the stairway with the council members beside her. Ultra Magnus looked positively sick and Pontus just smirked at this before he raised his hand, a gesture to silence the talking crowds. Immediately, their chatter died down and he smiled at them before pointing to Eros. She just stood there with a defiant look in her optics; she was no so easily terrified, even under the possibility of death.

"The accused has committed high treason against the Autobots," Pontus announced, "She has consorted with Decepticons, she has quite possibly abetted in their knowledge of our deepest secrets!" He turned to Eros. "If it wasn't for you, maybe our troops would still be alive. It's YOUR fault they have been killed!"

Eros scoffed angrily. "No! That makes no sense!" she snapped back; she looked at the crowds, "How can you even listen to him?"

Pontus whirled on her. "You have betrayed your own kind! Do you deny that you have mingled with Jhiaxus?"

Eros scowled, knowing what he was doing. "No."

"The punishment for these crimes is death, how vote you?" Pontus demanded, turning to the crowd.

Alpha Trion stepped forward as the crowd began to chant. "Silence!" he bellowed, "All of you are under the spell of paranoia and fear!" He gestured angrily to Pontus. "And it is mechs like these who fan the flames of these emotions! Either offer some form of proof of Eros' wrongdoing or be silent!" He scowled and turned to Pontus. "All I have heard from you is mindless contradiction! This entire proceeding is a complete outrage of justice!"

Pontus smirked at him before he turned to Ultra Magnus. "You know this is the only way, Magnus," he told him, glancing sideways to the chanting crowds, "In their optics, it will ensure that they are safe from any...possibilities."

Ultra Magnus shook his head. He seemed tormented, distraught. "You can't make me do this. I will not martyr my own child!"

"You either do it or I will," Pontus warned, "Do you think I have any problem with killing traitors?"

"I want no uprising..."

"There already is one."

Jhiaxus' ship appeared over Cybertron and the warlord transformed into his jet mode, streaking through the skies as he searched for Eros. Shots were fired at his ship from Autobot turrets, but they were deflected by the shields that immediately raised up before any shot could get through.

Ultra Magnus took a pistol offered to him from Pontus and gritted his denta, staring at his daughter with despair. She looked at him sadly and mouthed, "I don't blame you", completely out of audio shot from the rest.

"Jhiaxus is coming!" a bot shouted from the crowd.

Eros moaned in grief. "No!" she moaned to herself, "Please, stay away, Jhiaxus..."

Jhiaxus transformed and landed onto his feet at the edge of the crowd before he drew his swords, snarling out his words. The crowd parted immediately to allow him to make his way through; why the would do that, he didn't care.

"Let her go!" he bellowed.

"No! Kill that traitorous glitch!" another bot sneered.

Jhiaxus pushed his way through the crowd. "We have done no harm to you!" he shouted, his optics wide in desperation, "She is your daughter!"

Eros whimpered with fright when she felt the barrel of the gun against the base of her neck. "Dear Primus..." she begged, "Have mercy."

Jhiaxus took a step forward. "I shall let no harm come to dearest Eros," he spat, "Let her go, or you shall rot in the deepest part of the Void!"

Pontus just laughed and shook his head. "Do you see what's standing here, Autobots?" he asked, gesturing to Jhiaxus and then to Eros, "This is precisely why we have these rules in place. To even THINK of committing such a sin... They believe they have a right to everything then!"

"Come down here and face me and I will have a right to your head!" Jhiaxus snarled, leveling his swords at him.

Ultra Magnus glowered across the group at the Decepticon warlord. "You have taken my only daughter and defiled her with your filth!" he snapped, though his optics revealed nothing but torment, "My enemy...My own enemy would dare lay a hand on my child!"

"Do you even KNOW your own child?" Jhiaxus demanded, "Have you even SPOKEN to her and learned of her hopes and dreams as I have?"

"Don't you DARE assume that you know of me!"

Jhiaxus looked at Eros and his optics softened. He could see that his way was no working to save her life, so he decided to do the one thing he never thought he would do. He dropped himself to his knees and this earned a collection of stunned whispers from the crowd around him. Needless to say, the Autobot council and Eros looked equally shocked by this action. Jhiaxus lowered his head and stabbed one of his swords into the ground in front of him.

"If it is me you want, so be it," he said, gravely, "I will not fight you. I will not kill another soul if it means sparing her life." He lifted his head and there was indeed pain in his optics now. He begged them, knowing full well the consequences. "Please, don't do this. She is my life and my love always. I would gladly give mine if it means saving her."

"No!" Eros cried, glaring up at the other two bots, "Stop it! Haven't you fragged him up enough?"

"Shut up!" Pontus snarled, giving her a fierce slap across the face.

Jhiaxus uttered a feral snarl and lunged forward, but Ultra Magnus quickly pointed his gun at Eros and froze the Decepticon where he stood. Jhiaxus held out two hands and looked like a mech who was pleading for the only thing he had left in the universe; his life.

"The way we see it is this, scum," Pontus sneered, "You have nothing. You think you can just walk around waving your power card around like you own everything? You can't. I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. You're going down one way or another." He looked at Ultra Magnus who looked resolute to what had to be done; clearly he wasn't left with any choice as far as she could see. "Either you kill her, or we do it my way."

Eros looked up as Ultra Magnus slowly lifted her onto her knees and placed the end of his weapon at the back of her head. She smiled calmly at her lover, her mouth stained with Energon. There was a strange peace in her gaze now.

"Jhiaxus...this is not your fault..." she whispered.

"No!" Jhiaxus roared, moving to stop this.

And then, Ultra Magnus fired. The shot practically pierced through Jhiaxus' own spark and he froze in mid charge, optics wide in horror. He watched the body of Eros crumble to the ground and the crowd went insane, cheering and sneering at the Decepticon. But Jhiaxus no longer heard them. Every bit of sound was cut off except the pounding of his spark in his audio receptors and nothing in the universe had ever hurt more.

Through the dizzying haze of red he saw, Ultra Magnus staggered back from what he had done, dropping the weapon to the ground. His face became a rictus of despair; Jhiaxus could see Alpha Trion's horrified look, Pontus' smirk of satisfaction and Tau's reluctant smile. Then, he stared up at the crowd. The grinning faces laughing down at him and his suffering, the mockery... It became too much. Too much to bear.

_This...isn't happening... Why, Primus? _

Then, hell broke loose.

The Autobots looked up as Jhiaxus' drones and soldiers surged into battle, taking shots at their enemies. Ultra Magnus looked up with a cry and pointed.

"Get them!" he commanded.

Despite the chaos around him, Jhiaxus staggered toward the fallen body of his lover slowly, as if each step caused him pain. He shook his head in disbelief, moaning softly as he bent down, scooping Eros' body into his arms. He held her tightly to his chest, praying that it wasn't true; that the love of his life wasn't dead. But it was true. She was gone. The sound of laser fire and death around him barely masked the scream of despair he shot to the sky.

O

Jhiaxus had been staring down at the coffin that he had placed Eros in for a while in the poorly lit room. Specter stepped inside and watched him in silence for a while. He had his back to him and was leaning against the coffin.

"You did everything you could," Specter told him, "Do not blame yourself for this."

Jhiaxus was silent.

"To love someone so much and then to lose them so suddenly..." Specter continued. He paused briefly and shook his head with sadness, "I can't imagine how awful that must be for you." Then, he chuckled softly. "The things that femme would come up with... I don't see ones like her too often these days. She was so spirited, so full of life. So I have come to realize, that if it's hard for me, how much harder it must be for you. My spark feels pain for your loss, friend."

Jhiaxus lifted his head and his voice came out breathless, weak and nearly cold enough to freeze Primus' circuits himself. "Spark?" he whispered; he turned and looked at his friend, torment in his optics, "My spark is nearly choked by the hatred that I feel for the one who took her life." He was silent for a moment and looked back down at the coffin. "I don't want to play anymore, Specter." His next words came out harsh, spiteful and tormented. "I will fight...no longer. I will kill...no longer. I will be a Decepticon...no longer."

Specter was surprised for a moment, but he nodded and responded quietly. "I understand."

They were silent again before a drone stepped inside and whispered something to Specter. Jhiaxus didn't even hear it. He didn't CARE to hear it.

Then, a strange sound made the two look up in confusion. Jhiaxus' body trembled and convulsed and several choking sobs escaped him. The Decepticon suddenly threw his head back, hands at his sides, and screamed. Not his normal war cry. This was a scream that carried all of his grief and his pain. It was such a terrible sound to their audio receptors. They watched in pity and shock as Jhiaxus grabbed the wall tightly in his claws and slammed his head into it over and over again.

He screamed out while his head smashed into the wall and he kept this up for a while until Energon spurted from his forehead. Eventually, he grew tired and slumped to the ground, his face pressed into the wall, jaw slack in open mouthed sobs of despair. Neither one of them had ever seen their lord cry up until now. Energon tears poured down from his optics, leaking trails down his cheeks.

The drone started to go forward, but Specter stopped him. "No. Leave him alone." he said, gently.

Many groons had passed that led to many solar cycles. Jhiaxus had not left Eros' coffin-side since then. He sat against the wall with his head hanging low, staring down at his twin blades in his hands. Specter and a drone watched this from the window of the door.

"He's been this way for a long time," the drone argued, "We have to do something."

Specter shook his head. "This is what it is to lose a bond mate," he explained, "When you do, you don't just lose your love, you lose your will to live. That person made you who you are and when they're gone... You don't want to talk, you don't want to move. You're like a shell."

The drone looked at him. "How do you know that?"

Specter sighed softly. "Because I went through it too."

"Shouldn't we do something for him?"

"No. Jhiaxus needs some time to collect his thoughts and life again," Specter explained.

The drone scowled. "He hasn't been recharging or received any nourishment," he snapped, "Who knows what he's thinking right now."

Inside the room, Jhiaxus stared down at the blades in his hands. A sorrowful smile touched his lips and he brought one of them up to his chest. It would be so easy to end it; so quick to just bring the pain to a close. Normally, he was not so weak to take his own life, but it seemed to be the only option left. What else was there for him but the chance to see his beloved in the Well once more? It was the only thing he wanted.

Then, Jhiaxus felt something on his wrist.

His optics opened and he looked down, stunned to see another hand on his sword wrist. He looked up and couldn't believe that he was staring into Eros' stern face. It was a recharge-deprived illusion, it had to be. But he wanted it to be real again.

Eros stared at him sadly, holding his wrist to keep him from taking his own life.

"Eros..." he whispered, his optics filling, "Please, let me go to you."

She gave him a sad smile and shook her head.

"Why?" Jhiaxus begged, "I can't do this without you. The pain...it's too much."

Eros blinked silently and leaned forward, slipping her arms around him before pressing a ghostly kiss to his lips. Then, she parted and smiled reassuringly at him. Jhiaxus wanted to hold onto that illusion for as long as he could. She placed a hand over his chest and bowed her head before disappearing, leaving him alone once more.

O

A drone moved silently through the group of Decepticons and into the bridge. Jhiaxus was seated in his usual spot of command; his face was empty, yet hard like granite and no one on the bridge dared to speak to him. He seemed to be staring at the floor; his position reminded a few of an emotionless statue.

The drone approached him reluctantly, albeit a bit fearfully. "My Lord?" he said.

Jhiaxus did not react.

"My Lord," the drone tried again.

Eventually, it took a moment before Jhiaxus slowly lifted his head and stared up at the drone with deadened optics.

"May I...speak?" the drone asked.

There was a pause and Jhiaxus nodded "yes" silently. His movement appeared slow and strained.

The drone slowly reached out with something. "Master, Eros had this in the archive halls. I was cleaning and...I found it," he stammered, "I-I assumed you would want to have it."

Jhiaxus just stared at the offering; it looked to be a data disk of some kind. He didn't take it, but simply stared for a moment. After a while, he took the disk from the drone's claws and stared at it, his dazed features a mixture of confusion and pain. When he was staring at it for too long, he stood up and walked away without saying another word. He entered his quarters and sat behind his computer desk, slipping the disk into the computer.

After waiting a moment, the screen flickered with static and was replaced with an image of a table. Then, Eros appeared with documents in hand and she smiled into the camera, waving.

_"Hello!" _she greeted, _"It's me!" _She rolled her optics. _"Of course you know it's me. Sorry."_

Jhiaxus couldn't resist a heartbreaking smile at the goofy display.

_"Anyway," _Eros continued, _"Lately I've been recording my thoughts and ideas and wanted to show this to you. But...ah. Well, let's get right to it then, shall we?" _She sat down at the table and looked at her documents before chuckling. _"I've had this idea since we've been to that planet. I had a plan written up but...you know me." _She bent down to retrieve a schematic and chuckled skeptically into the camera. _"I'm about as science savvy as Perceptor is emotional."_

_Well, I thought about this planet. You didn't know that it contains Energon deposits. Lots of them. When I first arrived, I performed a scan of most of the area. It hasn't been claimed by any Cybertronian life." _A tender smile lit her face. _"We could make this a home for ourselves. Not just any place. This could be our own paradise. Maybe when the war finally ends, Autobots and Decepticons can live here together, you know?"_

Jhiaxus listened to her wish intently, never taking his optics from the screen.

_"I know it's silly," _Eros continued, _"Maybe even crazy, but... I could really be happy living in a world without war. I think you could too." _She sat there for a moment before glancing to the side. _"Ooh, I have to go. I'll talk to you later." _She smiled and waved at the camera. _"Bye."_

The disk ended and Jhiaxus shut off his computer with shaking hands.

Finally, after sitting in silence for a moment, he stood up and entered the bridge. The Decepticons standing there all turned attention to him now. Jhiaxus stared at each and every face before he finally spoke. When he did, he sounded weak, but still carried authority.

"There are some things that are going to change," he told them, "For those not willing or prepared for them, you have my leave to go."

Specter looked at him. "What are we doing, Jhiaxus?" he asked.

"We are standing aside," Jhiaxus told him. His optic ridges rose and slight menace dripped in his voice. "But there is one more thing I'd like to do first..."


	11. Part Eleven

**Fairytale Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** Well, the people have spoken. I have finally begun work on a story that ties in heavily with "MASQUERADE"; this is Jhiaxus and Eros' backstory. I have planned this ever since it was requested by a few reviewers of mine and now, here you go! I hope you guys like this one. For those who haven't read Masquerade, I encourage you to do so.

_"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."_

-Mother Teresa

_"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning."_

-Unknown Quote

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"We had order. Structure. A perfect, faultless mechanism that was destined to re-shape the galaxy. Then you came..."_

-Jhiaxus, G2

**Part Eleven**

Pontus ran as fast as he could.

He had no idea how long he'd been running for, but he lost sight of Tau as the Autobot drove through the forest of the alien planet. He felt foolish for ever accepting that false request to communicate with the alien species who did not even exist. He made his way for his drop ship, not even concerning himself of Tau would escape with his life or not.

Tau wasn't far behind him, panting desperately to evade the screaming jet of Jhiaxus overhead. He panted in terror and looked back, just as Jhiaxus swooped down in mid-transformation and slammed his fists in Tau's midsection. Tau was sent tumbling across the ground, snapping several trees in his path. He rolled for what felt like an eternity before falling into a puddle of mud and going still. Tau regained his senses to the sight of Jhiaxus stalking murderously toward him. He struggled to his feet, but failed when Jhiaxus' hand came down upon his face, pinning him to the ground. Those blood-red optics flashed hatefully in the darkness.

Tau uttered a muffled scream and struggled beneath his weight before shoving his fist into Jhiaxus' face over and over; he attempted to dislodge the raging creature, but Jhiaxus barely even flinched from the continuous blows, eyes widened and denta showing in a display of menace and insanity. He took the punches for several minutes and then, with a ferocious snarl, he sank his sharp denta deeply into his left hand and jerked his head to one side, tearing the fingers off.

Tau screamed in agony; it was a horrible, high-pitched sound. His body shuddered violently in spasms and his torn hand gushed Energon. Jhiaxus grabbed his throat now, grinning down at him through a mouthful of Energon and gore. It dripped down the length of his chin and neck, giving him the appearance of a primordial, savage god. He leaned forward and brought a finger to his soaked mouth, shushing Tau's screams of pain.

"The guilty must be punished, Tau..." he whispered, "Time to punish you."

Meanwhile, Pontus was struggling to start up his ship when he heard Tau's mortal scream pierce the night. He stopped long enough to stare out through the trees, seeing if he could find Jhiaxus anywhere. Seeing that it was clear for the moment, he tried to start up the ship again, but it was useless; Jhiaxus must have done something to it to prevent his escape. There was a loud bang and he jolted from the controls, staggering toward a laser pistol in a glass housing on the wall. He grabbed it and backed up, leveling it at the only entrance into the ship.

"Pontus..." Jhiaxus' voice whispered from outside the ship, "Come out and face me."

Pontus was afraid, but he wouldn't let Jhiaxus know that. "Come in! I have a little something for you!"

Jhiaxus was silent for a moment and then, his sword punched through the wall behind Pontus, inches from his face. He stared at the blade for a moment in shock before he moved to get away. That failed to work because Jhiaxus punched his other sword through the roof, stabbing through Pontus' arm. The council member let out a scream of agony, struggling to tug his bleeding arm free from the sword that held him in place.

The door to the ship was ripped open and Pontus looked up with a gasp of horror as Jhiaxus stepped inside. He flashed a broad grin through his grizzled, Energon-soaked lips, showing his fangs.

"Look what I just caught..." he hissed. He tsked with mock pity and studied the gushing wound in Pontus' shoulder. "Aww, that must have hurt. I heard your arm tear from outside."

Pontus looked absolutely terrified and Jhiaxus approached, reaching up with a weapon in hand; closer inspection revealed that it was a needle gun. Jhiaxus stabbed it into Pontus' neck and he grunted with discomfort, wincing as he felt something injected into his systems. Immediately, he blinked in disbelief when he felt his internals winding down. A pained, deadened look touched his face and black ooze trickled from his mouth before he went limp on the sword.

"Like it, Pontus?" Jhiaxus sneered, bending down to him, "This toxin was derived from the internals of a mech scorpion. My own personal favorite, really. See, it paralyzes and leaves you as limp as a sparkless shell, but every single primary function remains intact. To put it so delicately, it won't kill you. It won't allow you to move and your sensors become hypersensitive to even the lightest of inflictions. So if I were to do this," He punched Pontus in the abdomen, drawing a sharp gasp of agony from the mech, "the pain is much worse than it usually would be." He grinned wider now, a near insane look. "And trust me when I say you are about to experience so much of it."

O

Pontus stared up in fright at a dim light overhead. Jhiaxus moved around him, gathering deadly-looking tools at his side. The council member couldn't move or do anything and he was bound to a cold table on Jhiaxus' ship. He worked agonizingly slow and whistled a particularly eerie tune to himself as he did, which made the situation seem all the more hedonistic. Then, Jhiaxus leaned over Pontus, smirking nastily.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

Pontus struggled to move, but his limbs were as weak as a sparkling's.

"See, I think the problem is...you don't know the real me, Pontus," Jhiaxus continued, moving to another table where he began to sharpen a frightening-looking carving tool, "You've never had the opportunity to have a nice...quiet conversation with a Decepticon warlord, have you?" He smiled cruelly. "Look on the bright side; it will be quite a learning experience for all of us. We get to see what makes a political coward scream."

Pontus grimaced in fright. "Put yourself in my position, Jhiaxus!" he cried, "You would have done the same!"

Jhiaxus chuckled coldly. "No, I would not have done the same thing," he hissed, "As you can see, no good or bad deed goes undone. Now the question is, if the good end up suffering, what do we have saved up for the bad? You're about to find out."

"What do you want? Money? Fame? Power?" Pontus demanded, "What will it take? What do you want? Just tell me!"

Jhiaxus paused in his work and smiled at him. He approached the side of the table and leered down at the mech. "That's an easy one, Pontus," he replied, "Surely you can guess the one thing that I want most in this life. I want Eros back. Can you...somehow magically bring her back to life?"

Pontus whined softly, knowing that there was no way out of this. "You know I can't do that..."

Jhiaxus scoffed and stared at him with a grimace of disgust, as if the very thought of what he offered insulted him more than anything else. "So why would I want your petty offerings?"

Pontus groaned with defeat and looked away. "W-Where's Tau?" he asked.

"Tau?" Jhiaxus chuckled and turned back to his table, "Tau had it easy. I pulled off every one of his limbs. You won't have that instant luxury, my friend. You will have the pleasure of gaining my full, undivided attention. You will reap your reward while your alive and able to experience it completely." He leaned forward and touched Pontus' chest with one hand; a grin lit his face, "My, oh my, Pontus. You certainly are shaking. Are you sure you're alright?"

Pontus moaned in fright when Jhiaxus picked up a scalpel. "What do you want to hear, Jhiaxus?" he begged, "Do you want to hear me beg for forgiveness? Do you want to hear how I had no choice but to do what I did?"

"No." Jhiaxus replied, bluntly. "I want to hear you scream and beg for your life."

Pontus' breath quickened as Jhiaxus looked closer with the scalpel.

O

Ultra Magnus and Jhiaxus faced one another.

"So, you killed Pontus and Tau, did you?" Ultra Magnus asked.

Jhiaxus was silent, regarding him with empty contempt.

"You've made a mistake, you realize," Ultra Magnus hissed, clutching his hammer tightly in one hand, "You defiled my daughter. You are the reason she is dead."

"But I loved her," Jhiaxus said, softly, "Was love truly my mistake?"

Ultra Magnus raised his hammer and he stood in an attack position. "I suppose you're here to kill me now?"

"No," Jhiaxus replied, with a sad smile, "I don't want to kill you. In fact, I hope you live for a long time to come. Maybe even longer than that. I want you to live every nanoklick of your life in the hell you've brought upon yourself. I want you to live with the innocent Energon you've betrayed." He turned on him now. "I offer you nothing but my back, Magnus. It is the only think you so rightfully deserve."

Ultra Magnus looked stunned as Jhiaxus walked away.

"You shall never see me again," he called back quietly.

"Where are you going now?" Ultra Magnus demanded.

"Home. To New Lucifer."

"Where?"

Jhiaxus paused and looked back at him. "A place that war cannot touch."

Once again, Ultra Magnus was left standing there in shock as Jhiaxus disappeared over the horizon.

And he didn't look back.

END


End file.
